#but after work i get to go to trivia with some of my cousins so yipeee ^_^

[tetzoro]

good morning and happy tuesday my dear friendz <3 here’s a lil boop from me to u ₊˚⊹ ꒰^. .^꒱ ⋆｡ ᰔ

[princess-of-the-corner]

Random MHA Headcanons!

Cause I am having A DAY. So let’s do something to get that dopamine hit!

Satou, while a fabulous baker, is (at best) a mediocre cook. He has a few dished that he can make consistently, but is otherwise a disaster. It’s only after he moves into the 1-A dorms that he begins improving. (Apparently he and Bakugou are trading lessons in cooking and baking, but shhhhh! We don’t mention that Bakugou might need LESSONS!)

Jirou has recordings of her parents heartbeats to listen too, when she feels stressed or has trouble sleeping. She is extremely embarrassed about this.

Hagakure enjoys photography. She’s quite good at it, especially given she’s never had any kind of training or professional equipment. If the hero thing hadn’t worked out, she could have had quite the career as a freelance photographer.

Kouda’s Quirk reacts oddly to people with animal-based Quirks. He cannot control them, like he can regular animals, but he CAN use his Quirk to translate for them if they have non-human vocal chords.

If Sero overuses his Quirk, the skin on his elbows becomes dry, cracked, and peeling. Part of his daily routine is moisturizing his arms.

If Kaminari had better control of his Quirk, he could probably utilize electro-magnetism (please look up hero series Static Shock, I just want my boy to be able to air surf, is that wrong?).

The kids, at first, would often go to Momo for things they needed replaced. Momo had no issues with this, seeing it mostly as practice. However, after she nearly fainted at one point, the class has instituted a payment system. If you want Momo to make you something over a certain size or weight, you need to give payment in food, to help her replenish her fat stores.

Bakugou has a wide range of random skills, that seem very incongruous. Most stem from Bakugou seeing someone do something, deciding “I can do that”, and then throwing himself in whole hog. Some of these random skills include knitting, surfing, lockpicking, candle-making, knife-throwing, and embroidery.

CC!Specific-Himiko enjoys doll customization. She finds it a very soothing process. At home, she didn’t really get the chance to do much with it, but at school, she’s really stretching her creative muscles. She has a few smaller things she’s working on, but her current big project is making a doll for each of her classmates in their hero costumes.

1-A sometimes has trivia nights. After the first night, they banned Midoriya from playing when the subject is Heroes, instead making him the moderator who asked the questions. After the second night, they had to institute a partner who will go through all of Midoriya’s questions, and make sure they can actually be answered.

Aoyama’s family seems to work in food imports, specifically dairy products, like cheese.

There is a cat café near the U.A. campus. Aizawa is largely responsible for why it’s still open.

Mina’s whole family works in chemicals. She has a cousin that does cosmetics, which are some of the only kind Mina can actually use.

Iida used to have braces.

Tsuyu briefly had a tadpole tail as a baby. It vanished by the time she was two.

Uraraka’s Quirk is actually misdiagnosed. It isn’t canceling gravity, it’s gravity manipulation.

Quirk Counselling can be a very lucrative job, but it isn’t particularly well regulated, so just about anyone can do the job. This is particularly problematic, because every child is required by law to see a Quirk Counsellor for a minimum of six months after their Quirk manifests. Several Heroes - including Present Mic, Eraserhead, Ryuku, Nighteye, and The Wild, Wild Pussycats - have been pushing for better laws and policy around Quirk Counselling, but are being hampered by the HPSC.

Both of Ojiro’s father and sister have more pronounced physical mutations, while Ojiro takes more after his mother in looks.

-

Oh i love all of these and I have som occasional notes(not for each so I’ll just hit them off hand)

Someone find Denki a copy of Static Shock right the hell now so he can try something absolutely stupid(affectionate)!

Momo honey PLEASE learn to say no sometimes!!

Yeah no Katsuki 100% sees something and goes ‘I might one day have to utilize this’ and learns it. But you can tell which ones she actually enjoys and was using ‘I can probably figure out a way to use this for my Hero Career’ as an exxcuse to enjoy things without guilt of not being training 24/7

Himiko absolutely would love doll customization. She used to just watch videos in secret because god forbid her parents got a glimpse of it and saw how horrifically violent it looked out of context.

Izuku honey please not everyone can do your trivia levels. The class thinks that Katsuki will be able to rein Izuku in on Hero Triva but they forget that she’s also a fucking nerd so she barely pulls punches either. Someone else is chosen. 

Ahahaha yeah that Quirk Counselling can certainly be an OOF. I think the Heroes might get some leverage in that department here soon upon finding out that the lack of regulation was just helping AfO find plenty of allies and Nomu fodder.

[missnobodymadness]

Jujutsu Kaisen OC introduction: Jiyū

(I'd like to apologize for the lack of art but unfortunately I am not an artist and I am broke at the moment, so I'm just gonna info dump about her because can't help it :'D)

───── ⋆⋅Jiyū⋅⋆ ─────

"Even monkeys have a nervous system and a beating heart, what's so wrong about them not being able to speak like us?"

General

Name: Misuzu Zenin (Birth name); Jiyū (Chosen name)

Meaning: Beautiful (Misuzu); Freedom, Liberty (Jiyū)

Date of Birth: 23, March, 1990

Age: 27

Zodiac: Pisces

Gender: Gender nonconforming

Pronouns: She/They

Sexuality: Heterosexual but curious

Species: Human

Blood Type: A+

Status: Alive

Appearance

Height: 5’9” / 1,75m

Weight: 154lbs / 70kg

Skin color: White

Eye color: Greyish blue and violet

Hair color: Black and white

Hair length: Medium

Scars/Birth marks/Tattoos: A long scar on the neck, a line tattoo under each eye, two natural dots at the end of each line, three thick lines under the lips (go from lips to chin), the middle one is thicker than the other two and tattoo of two intertwined snakes that goes from her left hand to her right hand, this tattoo goes around her neck (I wish I could explain it better but English is not my first language).

Body modification: Three piercings on the left side of her nose (High nostril, nasallang and nostril), two piercings under the lip (Snake bites) and forked tongue.

Other features: Usually uses a dark smoke purple lipstick.

Relationships

Biological Family

Mother

Unnamed Zenin

Father

Unnamed Zenin

Siblings

Jinichi Zenin

Toji Fushiguro

Partner

None

Children

None

Other family

Megumi Fushiguro (Nephew)

Naobito Zenin (Uncle)

Ogi Zenin (Uncle)

Naoya Zenin (Cousin)

Maki Zenin (Cousin)

Mai Zenin (Cousin)

Other relationships

Suguru Geto (Love interest)

Satoru Gojo (“Friendly” rivalry)

Kento Nanami (Friend and confidant)

Yu Haibara (Friend)

Shoko Ieiri (Friend)

Yuki Tsukumo (Good friend)

Utahime Iori (Ex-friend)

Education & occupation

School

Tokyo Jujutsu High

Year

2nd year student (2007)

Grade

2

Occupation

Jujutsu Sorcerer

(Accused of being a curse user by Kyoto Jujutsu High)

Affiliation

Tokyo Jujutsu High (Former)

Geto’s “Family” (Former)

Combat

Cursed tools

Karambits, a boomerang and a special kind of chain scythe.

Innate cursed technique

Toxic Infusion

Extension techniques

Terminal Blast

Domain

Lethal Chamber of the Serpentine

Personality

Jiyū is overall an independent and calculating person with a questionable conduct that may come as impolite and cynical to some when in fact, she is just living in her own world and abiding by her own rules.

Positive traits

Independent

Creative

Perseverant

Self-Reliant

Clean and organized

Negative traits

Unethical

Challenging

Selfish

Morbid

Escapist

Likes

Dark themes, anatomy (especially human), organization, extreme sports, cryptozoology and conspiracy theories.

Dislikes

Dirt, strong smells, depending on others and working together, unless when sharing the same goals, unpunctuality, vanity.

Trivia

- Despite the name of her domain, it is NOT a lethal domain; the name refers to the abilities of the domain, which can be deadly if she gets lucky and is able to maintain the opponent there long enough.

- She has selective mutism, which is believed to be a result of the oppression and generational trauma she suffered from the Zenin clan.

- She smokes when things get overly tense/stressful or when she is too anxious.

- She has two names: The one she was given at birth by her parents and family and the name she picked herself after abandoning the clan.

The name Jiyū was chosen for its meaning, which is freedom/liberty; she admits that one of the reasons why she picked such name was to provoke and mock the Zenin clan.

- She has this weird habit of start talking about conspiracy theories out of nowhere, especially when she is with people she sees as close friends.

- Just like her brothers she is very good at physical combat, it apparently runs in their blood.

- Her reputation is not the best; she mostly enjoys working alone and only follows rules when she agrees with them or when they benefit her.

- After an incident where she was framed by Geto’s Family, she gets accused of being a curse user by her then good friend, Utahime Iori, but Jiyū and most of the Tokyo Jujutsu High don’t agree with that claim.

────────────── ⋆⋅⋅⋆ ──────────────

Alright, this is all I've got to show you for now, maybe in a few months I will be able to commission an artist to finally give her a face!

Trying to save some for my birthday, which is in June, maybe I will be able to buy myself a birthday gift, who knows. *crossing my fingers*

[artzychic27]

What do you think about Nino, Nathaniel, Kim, Max, Rose and Marc having same-sex parents? The fact that Max has a mother, I know about it. I'm just curious. If so, can you describe: gender, work, character, hobbies, etc. And can you write how they had children?

Nino: Two Moms

They're actually his aunts because in my Trans!Nino au, his parents suck and gave up all parental rights to them

Chris is his cousin, but they see each other as brothers

His aunts/moms names are Anais and LaBrea

They both go by she/her pronouns, are cisgender, Anais is a lesbian and LaBrea is bisexual

They had Chris through a sperm donor so Anais could have Chris

Anais is a seamstress and LaBrea is an event planner. For Sweet 16s, Quinceañeras, weddings, etc, LaBrea will give Anais business cards. She gets more business, they take in more cash

Nathaniel: Two dads, one mom

Maison is demisexual with no preferences toward gender. He had been married to a man named Alois for five years, and Aya was the surrogate

But, Maison and Aloïs broke it off on good terms when Nathaniel was three. Later, Maison began dating Aya when he found out they had more in common, and they got married

Aloïs is gay and cis, Maison is Demisexual, and a demiman and Aya is pansexual and cis. When Maison isn't around, Aya and Aloïs like to simp over him

Aloïs works as a history teacher, Maison is a vet with his own practice, and Aya owns a diner

Nathaniel still calls Aloïs ‘dad’

Kim: Two dads, one mom

Kim’s dad, Teo Lê is in a romantic relationship with Éliott Ature and a platonic relationship with Khuyen Nguyên

Éliott and Khuyen kept their names and just combined them with Teo’s (Also, reading the wiki, and apparently, Chiên is Kim’s middle name…)

Éliott is out of the country most of the time for work, and Kim is often left with Teo and Khuyen while he sees Éliott mostly through video calls

Khuyen is aromantic, Teo is omnisexual, and Éliott is gay. They’re all cis

Khuyen is a trainer at the gym, Teo owns a cafe, and Éliott does some sort of business overseas, I don’t know

Rose: Two Dads

Her dads are Elliot and Emmet, and she was born through in vitro fertilization

They’re both gay, Emmet is nonbinary and fine with masculine titles, but doesn’t mind gender neutral ones, and Elliot is also cis

They co-own a small bookstore/tea shop with a cottagecore theme

Elliot is more eccentric a excitable like Rose while Emmet is more down to earth. They balance each other out. Also, they both like knitting and crocheting

Max: Two Moms

Claudia and Nubia married each other after they finished university

They had Max naturally because one of them is a trans woman, I won’t say who

Claudia is a lesbian, Nubia is polysexual, and they both use she/her pronouns

Claudia works as a conductor and is training to be an astronaut while Nubia works as a crime scene investigator

They liked trivia games until Max kept beating them every time, so they switched to Uno… Which he also beat them in

Their favorite past time is teasing Max about his crush on Kim

Marc: Two Moms

Marc’s a test tube baby

His moms are Penelope and Alyssa

Alyssa was originally from Greece, and Penelope is half Latina (Colombian)

They’re both cis, Alyssa is a lesbian and Penelope is BiRomantic, and they use she/her pronouns

Penny is an interior designer and Alyssa is a middle school teacher

Usually on weekends when Alyssa is done grading papers, they go out clubbing. Other times they stay in and pry any information about Nathaniel they can out of Marc

[astra-galaxie]

Patty Harrigan

Biographical information

Full Name: Pádraigín Ó hArgáin

Alias(es): Patty Harrigan

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Status: Deceased

Age: 26 (season 4)

Birth: 1864

Race: Human

Cause of Death: Stabbed to death

Nationality: Irish

Origin: Dublin, Ireland

Residence:

Concordia, USA

Dublin, Ireland (formerly)

Profession(s): Maid

Profile

Height: 5'3"

Age: 26 (season 4)

Weight: 126lbs

Eyes: green

Blood: AB-

Patty was a young Irish immigrant in her mid-twenties with fair skin and green eyes. She kept her strawberry-blonde hair pulled into a bun with strands framing her face, and she had a white maid's cap. She wore a maid's uniform consisting of a modest black dress with puffy shoulders, brown shoes and white gloves.

Synopsis

Patty was the victim in Slash and Burn. She was an Irish immigrant who moved to Concordia a few years before the current time. She was employed as a maid for Oscar Trefusis and worked alongside the butler Colin James. Trefusis had confiscated her identification paperwork, preventing the woman from quitting and forcing her to be his slave. He paid almost nothing for her work and would order her to do the most horrible tasks, even if they were not usually her job.

While in Concordia, she became friends with Mary Patrick, a fellow Irish immigrant. While Patty didn't have much free time, when she did, she enjoyed spending it with Mary at the market. The older woman had a cart where she sold products from her farm, and sometimes, Patty helped her. When she could afford it, Patty would buy fresh homemade bread from Mary, who made some of the best soda bread in Concordia.

Patty also assists Mary in bringing her cousin Harriet and Daisy the cow to the city by lending her friend money, with the promise that Harriet would pay her back after her arrival. Patty planned to help the young girl find work, hopefully in a better place than where she worked. She didn't want to see another immigrant's dreams of a better life in America get crushed like hers had because of Trefusis. Harriet was so happy to be living in Concordia, and Patty didn't want to see the young woman lose the light in her eyes.

Leading up to her murder, she was involved in a brief relationship with Aidan Moran, but the relationship ended as quickly as it began. Patty found the sailor to be shallow and stupid. She considered him far from a gentleman and broke up with him after just one date. Of course, Aidan didn't take the rejection well, but Patty escaped before he could seriously hurt her.

During the fire in New Haven, Patty was murdered by her coworker Colin. She walked in on the butler attempting to steal from their employer and swore she would report Colin to Trefusis. Colin, fearing going back to jail, chased Patty into the burning streets of New Haven and stabbed her to death. And while he may have killed her to prevent going back to jail, in the end, Colin was arrested and sent to the very place he never wanted to be in again.

Story Information

First appeared: Slash and Burn

Trivia

She replaced Harriet Patrick as the victim in Slash and Burn

Her name is based on Harriet Patrick's. Her first name, Pádraigín, is Gaelic for Patricia (Patrick), while her surname, Ó hArgáin when Anglicized, becomes Harrigan, which the beginning sounds like Harry (Harriet)

She Anglicized her name as she was told it would make it easier for her to get a job

She was friends with Mary Patrick

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad) Murders of The Past (Ao3/Wattpad)

[luxshine]

Ok. So... I've been sick and under a lot of Antibiotics. Like, seriously a lot.

The good ones too, as omg, the dreams. I will probably share them all with you at some point (Especially Law and Order: Random Kitten Edition) but there's one, that I actually took notes when I woke up from, that was so weird that I just have to share it with you guys.

Because my FEVERISH AND DRUG ADDLED Brain gave me "Harry Potter: The UNFUCKED edition" where I *think* most if not all of the really ugly parts got fixed.

To begin with a bang, Harry is not white. He is of hindi descent, from his Mom's side so Petunia and his cousin are also not white. Vernon is white, but when it comes to cultural stuff, he bows to Petunia. So his family celebrates Diwali, Makar Sankrati, Maha Shivarati, Holi... the works. There's also a lot, and I mean a LOT of cow decorations around the house.

He is also not bullied or mistreated by the Dursleys. They are VERY strict at the beginning, yes, especially Vernon who spends most of Harry's early childhood trying to keep him "normal" because he keeps saying that the nail that stands out, gets the hammer. But there's no treating Harry like a slave, he and Duddu, which was Dudley's name here (and latter google told me it was an hindu name meaning Love of sun which... wow feverish brain, WHERE did you get that trivia fact?) have a more sibling-like relationship. Harry FEELS like his life is boring and wishes something happened to him, and REALLY wishes Vernon didn't just knocked out anything that sounded like fun or different, but he is not abused.

Hermione is black, and of course, this puts her fight for the House Elves in a completely different light (AND this time, it sticks and it's not treated like a silly little thing)

Ron and the Weasleys are the same, only that because the Dursleys are not abusive, they actually become somewhat friendly at first, until Vernon loses his patience at how Arthur treats non wizards as clever little monkeys and puts him in his place. After that, they actually become friends.

The BIG change at first? Draco is not sorted in Slytherin, but in Ravenclaw, which immediately makes him a pariah to all Slytherins (aka. all his childhood friends) AND makes Lucious literally disown him via howler. Long story short, this ends up with the trio befriending him too, and becomes an arc about nurture vs. nature, this is, children are NOT evil, but they are taught to be evil and if you put all the death eater children in the exact same house? Well, it's an echo chamber and they all will grow up to be death eaters! Draco breaks free thanks to the hat sending him away. He also is the first one to help Hermione with the elves, by pointing out that sure, everyone will tell her that the elves like being slaves because the elves says so... BECAUSE they know that they will be punished if they say otherwise. So they try a different route to help free the elves which include all the non wizard born students revolting and going to help to the kitchen to wash dishes and so, as they do in their homes. At some point Dumbledore went to scold Hermione for forcing her classmates to do that, to which Hermione replied, in the kitchen, full of house elves "Ok, show of hands. Who is FORCED to be here?" and of course no one, not the house elves, nor the children, raised their hands. I liked that scene, especially as they laughed their hearts out once Dumbledore was gone.

Oh, Dobby ended up hired by Vernon to be Duddu's bodyguard instead of going back to Hogwarts. He and Petunia got along amazingly in the kitchen.

Gremlins were not jewish caricatures (no hooked noses and big ears, more like sweddish gnomes) and they are not betrayed by Harry -who, half hindu, understands the whole "uk took our treasures and called them theirs".

I remember Sirius didn't die, and that there were more werewolves so it avoided the HIV parallel with a pedophile evil, but unfortunately, I don't remember the exact details of that.

But what I DO remember is that, because of the little changes of the foursome being more kind to everyone, trying to understand others and understanding that the problem was not just voldemort but the system that created him? The battle at Hogwarts included ALL the mystical creatures from the get go. The elves went willingly to defend THEIR children (The ones who didn't treat them as slaves), the goblins were there too because hey, Voldemort was a treat to everyone. Centaurs, giants, and so on. The only ones that didn't join the fight? Slytherin because uhm... they were on the other side.

Most importantly? The Non wizard parents joined in too. (No "Oh, I will send my bewtiched parents to Australia" here). With guns, and knives, and you do NOT want to be between a hooligan and their children, becuase they will HURT you more than crucio. And the one who killed Voldie? VERNON DURSLEY with a Hunting Rifle.

Because you may have all the magic in the world, but that ain't shit against a lead bullet to the brain. (And this non evil Vernon was NOT going to let his nephew be treated like a goat for sacrifice as Dumbledore wanted)

In the epilogue that is just 2 years later, not ten, yes, McGonagall is headmistress but we get actual change. Slytherin as a house is dismantled, and a new fourth house is created. Slughorn the humble. Why Slughhorn? because he was the one who realized he was wrong, he changed his ways, and he became a better person. And that takes humility, and that is important. Harry wants to become either a healer or a teacher, all the house elves in Hogwarts are free and now work with a salary, vacation days, and the works. The goblins are no longer treated as second class citizens as Arthur Weasley, new minister of magic, changes those laws, to allow them to have wands, and have whichever work they want, not just banking, and there are at least four goblins working now in the minister, same as house elves. Because they need to have their voices heard.

And that was about when I woke up, and how the hell did my fever addled brain came up with so much, when miss Terf couldn't be bothered to even explain why "we don't tell muggles about magic because then they would want to do everything with magic" is a logical sentence in a world where we NEVER see a wizard NOT do something incredibly simple without using magic?

[inanshalla]

my only rook I’m attached to right now would be dhaveira aldwir, the daughter of my non canon inquisitor, miolu’vun lavellan (nicknamed u’vun for short) who romanced solas. (I haven’t scrapped shiera mercar but she’s not interesting rn 😭)

some trivia

aldwir is the surname, dhaveira inherited from her late father, emrys aldwir a elf mage who had found the dalish while they roamed the outskirts of the free marches after escaping the ostwick circle of magi at seventeen in 9:28 Dragon. He became the first of clan lavellan some after, in 9:30 Dragon, married u’vun that following spring and dhaveira was born the same year, wintertime and during the 5th Blight. He passed away when dhaveira was eight years old in a hunting accident, 9:38 Dragon, making him roughly 27 years old.

dhaviera, in regards to her age in veilguard is almost twenty-two in 9:52 Dragon. This makes u’vun 41 years old. In the beginning of inquisition, u’vun was 30 years old.

u’vun is related to my canon lavellan inquisitor, inanshalla lavellan, being first cousins, making inanshalla dhaveira’s second cousin. U’vun also has a twin brother named evunial.

inanshalla is younger than u’vun being 27 during the events of Inquisition.

dhaveira was sent to live at skyhold with her mother after the inquisition was finally settled in skyhold, early 9:41 Dragon when she is ten, almost eleven. She became close with the inner circle, particularly varric as he often would read her stories when her dreams became too scary so she could not sleep at night. She also became close with solas as he had taught her how to manage her magic. Dhaveira is a dreamer, similar to solas but far less experienced.

her desire to become a veil jumper was her immense pride in her dalish heritage, much like her mother and a hunger for ancient knowledge. Also, selfishly, she craved excitement and she believed she was not going to get it under inquisitor lavellan’s shadow.

her veil jumper backstory is similar to the default one for rook in veilguard. I’ll add that the only reason she went back to save the other jumpers was because, similar to her mother and the sense of community engrained in her as a dalish, her loyalty was stronger than her thirst for knowledge and the thrill of what was to be discovered.

she eventually joins varric not only because of her close relationship with him but because, like varric, believes solas could be reasoned with. Prior to solas leaving the inquisition, her only experiences with solas were friendly.

as for her mother, her work as a veil jumper, had her estranged from her for roughly two years. u’vun would also never speak of solas and prior to meeting her mother again in the events of Veilguard, that’s the first time they had ever actually spoke about solas.

her dynamic with solas is pretty straightforward. He basically uses her inexperience against her, taking advantage of the kind image she had of him as a child to manipulate her.

he ultimately underestimates her, however because he believed the only thing she shared in common with her mother was looks, she was not at all as even-tempered and modest as her mother. He did not take into account that just like u’vun, she was a devilishly quick learner.

[kismetharborapps]

Second Character Submission

name: Amy

preferred pronouns: she/her

age: 33

timezone: MST (Mountain Standard Time)

activity level: Every day. I am a teacher so some days I am drained after work. But, I will make time to log in and roleplay. It is how I de-stress myself.

triggers: Not asking for consent or even God modding. I will happily give you any information about my character. Don’t assume.

anything else?: Not at the moment

  name: Jade Mei Little

faceclaim: Melissa O’Neil

gender & pronouns: Female, She/Her

age: 36

birthday: January 1st, 1988

place of birth: Phoenix Arizona

occupation:  Preschool Teacher at Tiny Sprout Preschool

neighborhood: The Willows Apartment Complex

time since arriving in Kismet Harbor: since September of 2004

filling a wanted connection?: None

biography: 

Jade was born to Tracy and Demitri Little on January 1st, 1988 in Phoenix Arizona. Her mom wanted to name her Phoenix after the city they were living in, but her dad decided on Jade. To honor his wife’s Chinese background. Her mom and dad met in high school, they broke up for a while but eventually got back together, got married, and had three children, Bo, Jade, and Alison. Bo is her older brother by 3 years, Jade is the middle child and Alison is her younger sister. 

  Jade had always heard about the middle child syndrome and how sometimes they feel like they don’t belong. Jade thought that wasn’t going to be her. Her family would always want to know what’s happening in her life. Well, that turned out not to be the case. The middle child syndrome hit Jade semi-hard. Bo was always getting attention for being a big football star and Alison was the baby of the family. So of course, she was getting more attention. Jade was getting hand-me-downs from her cousins and grandparents. She was joining the cheerleading squad and doing activities in school that she didn’t care for, which would hopefully gather her mom and dad’s attention and make them notice what she was doing. Jade joined choir and drama and found out that she had a love for being on stage and singing. It was her outlet away from home. 

  Jade was a straight-A student. She buckled down and worked hard. She wasn’t one to slack off and join everyone else as they partied and drank. That wasn’t and isn’t Jade. She will have a drink now and again though. When January was 18, her brother left Phoenix to go off to college. Out of her siblings, Bo was the protective one. He was always sticking up for Jade and Alison. Even making sure that if any boys were over, Bo and their dad were asking them a million and one questions. Now, it was Jade’s turn to be protective of her little sister. She always was. She was even protective of Bo too. 

  A couple of years after Bo left, Jade left Phoenix and arrived in Kismet Harbor. She needed a change—a chance to make something of herself, to escape from the shadows of her brother’s legacy and even her parents. Jade has a protective nature about her. She’s hard-headed at times, kind, gentle, passionate, and loving. She enjoys cooking the family recipes passed down from her grandparents to her mom, dancing, writing songs, and singing. She is a preschool teacher.

other: Buck Matthews Parker (tumblr.com)

pets: Pin page (pinterest.com) (Puppy named Tater Tot who is 3 years old)

town activities: Compassionate Friends, lgbtqia+, trivia nights

draw of luck: Yes

Character Blog URL: Pre-K Madness (tumblr.com)

[elxy-x]

Decompressing

Kids, if there is anything I can tell you is that life is wild. Take a break when you can---drink your green tea & smell the God damn roses. Life goes by too fast. It is December 27th, 2023. Let me tell you as every year passes by, I continue to have the best birthdays & Christmas. I spent this Christmas with both my mom's side of the family playing loteria, with my boyfriend: Austin Gabriel & went on a quick trip to visit a dear cousin of mine named: Adrian Alcantar. It was an amazing trip as he showed us around the fire station. A wonderful experience. I had the pleasure of spending Christmas with my mother & father around the afternoon. Before that, I was invited to hang out with a dear close friend named: Jon Beltran for A morning Christmas breakfast. It was delicious! They had eggs, sausage, biscuits, etc. I got to see my second mom for a bit and play trivia. We all exchanged gifts. After we headed over to my parent's plates-- it was such a good time! My father cooked tenderloin, mashed potatoes-- boy it was yummy! This was the first year we took family pictures and it was such a good time. Normally we don't take pictures but i figured I don't have enough pictures with mom and dad-- (odd I know). it was such a blast to hang out with my the two people in the world who love me the most. My mom & dad. I have taken them for granted for years, but not this year. The year 2023 was a big one. But i'll leave that for another post on here. Anyways, Ausint & I ended up taking funny "old school" JC Penny pictures/ Christmas pictures and it was a total blast. we received a lot of good feedback on it! It was one for the books. After, Austin & then went over to my brother's house in Lantana, TX. It was one of the sweetest interactions I have ever had. I finally got over my fear of rejection. I was able to talk to all my nieces and get to know them a little bit more. This was a huge and very monumental for me. I was able to break the ice with my sister-in-law about wanting to support the kids more and I did the same with my brother. It was beautiful. My brother sang Happy Birthday to me, as did the whole family. My heart was and is still filled. Breaking the barriers that I had been meaning to break for years. I broke the barrier with my brother about wanting to be closer to him and getting to know him better to create a relationship with him. It was amazing. I ended the night on a high note. I was thinking about how different my life had changed but then didn't. More so, I did a 360 and went back to where I left originally. Back to my family. & everything makes more sense now. The things I have been running from, fear, everything. I missed the friends that had cut me off due to some shortcomings on my end, and let me tell you the plot twist at the end of the night was receiving a message from someone that I didn't expect. One of the reasons I became sober, but choose to ultimately do for me first. Yezzy. She messaged me: "happy birthday", with something else attached that I have yet to see because I have been so busy with me :) Life is wild. Remember that what is meant for you will be yours always. This was a past best friend/ family. As for the message, I am still digesting how I feel about it. I do not think I am going to respond, however. I am proud to say that I want to continue working on myself and I have goals. I am putting myself first from now on. No more fear. I think for me it is still too soon to speak to yezzy. I have a lot of work to do on myself.

Much love,

To Growth. Xoxo.

[heaven-s-black-box]

Saturday- cafe Recht Chpt.6

Return to File

Recovery date: September 7th, 2020

Description: Miles owns a cafe with Franziska, and Phoenix and Maya are famous actors. Their daughters go to school together, so what happens when they want a sleepover?

Notes: A entry series involving a descendant of a traveler, following the death of her mother it was determined Sky would be better off staying with Miles Edgeworth. This is an OC insert, the fantastical technobabble is just for looks

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Word count: 1 318

Back to directory

The rest of the week had been rather uneventful for everyone. Aside from the mini heart attacks Franziska had whenever Maya stopped by for coffee, the only other thing of interest was Klavier’s announcement of a Gavineer’s concert. Athena had gone to school one other day that week, Thursday, and had gone to the cafe after school with everyone else. It had become a daily occurrence to see Sky enter, followed by a group of high schoolers.

Saturday came quickly, and while Trucy was more than excited for her first “ real” sleepover (no, the times her and Pearl slept over at whoever’s didn’t count, they were practically cousins), the astronomy club’s fair came first. 

“Wow!” Trucy said, as they entered the gym.

It was set up a lot like a science fair, each table had a model or poster board. But there was a scale model of the solar system, hanging from the ceiling, and the lights were out. There was glow in the dark tape, marking the path, and everyone got a glow stick wristband. Each station was lit up in it’s own fun way so you could see it clearly.

“So, where do you two wanna start?” Apollo asked. Pearl and Trucy were holding both his hands, so they wouldn’t get lost. 

“Clay’s station!”

“Okay,” he looked down at the map, and just like everything else, it glowed in the dark. “It should be this way.” He pulled the girls off to the right.

“So, what is his on?” Pearl asked.

“It says he did an interview.” Once they were in view of Clay, Apollo let the girls run off towards him. He already had a small crowd around him, but once they arrived he started.

“Hello ladies and gentlemen, fellow space nerds. My name is Clay Terran, and I’m the vice-president of the astronomy club. For my presentation, I did something a bit different than everyone else, I went and got an interview with an astronaut.” There were a few murmurs from the crowd, but it quickly fell quiet again. “I was lucky enough to get an interview with astronaut Solomon Starbuck, who will be going into space on the HAT-1 mission this october. But I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me read his answers, so I recorded the interview. I was also able to ask some of the other employees questions. So, please enjoy it.”

*Beep*

”Hello, I’m Clay Terran, vice-president of Watson highschool’s Astronomy club, and I’m here today with astronaut Solomon Starbuck, Psychologist Metis Cykes, and robotist Aura Blackquill.”

“Hello, I’m Solomon Starbuck, and I’ll be one of the astronauts on the HAT-1 mission.”

“Hello, I’m Metis Cykes, and I’m a psychologist collaborating with the space center on a robotics project.”

“Hello, I’m Aura Blackquill, and I’m a robotist working with Dr. Cykes on a robotics project for the space center.”

“Alright, so the first question is for Mr. Starbuck…”

Throughout the interview, they discussed astronaut training, the psychological impact going to space has on astronauts, and some of the technical behind the scenes stuff. Clay even had a few pictures to share, and his own space center jacket. It was obvious to everyone watching that Clay had enjoyed his work.

By the time they had thoroughly explored the stations, and taken part in some silly space themed activities and trivia, it was six thirty. While the event had started around eleven thirty, they had arrived near the end so they didn’t have to wait around for Clay. 

“That was so cool!” Pearl exclaimed when Clay met them outside the school. 

“It looked like you had a lot of fun,” Apollo smiled. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Clay this excited.

“Thank you Pearly, and I did. It was a nice break from exam prep.”

“Polly’s been studying wayyy too much! Daddy has to keep reminding him to sleep, and that he still has a week,” Trucy laughed, as they made their way back to the Wright’s apartment.

“I just want to be sure I remember everything,” Apollo huffed.

“Working yourself into the ground won’t help that,” Clay laughed, as he slung an arm around Apollo’s shoulders. “I got an idea! Some of the club members were talking about an upcoming Gavineer’s concert, you and I are going.”

“Gavineer’s? Isn’t that that weird law band?” Clay turned to him with a look of offence.

“How dare you call the Gavineer’s weird! But yes, they are the band that sings about law. Besides, just think of it like my early birthday present.”

“First, what they sing about doesn't count as law, it’s at best, thinly veiled innuendos. Secondly, your birthday isn’t for almost three months.”

“He said early present though,” Pearl said.

“Ya Polly, weren’t you listening,” Trucy giggled, sticking her tongue out.

“Three months is too early for an early birthday present!”

---

“Hi papa,” Sky sighed, as she closed the door and buckled herself in.

“Hello, how was dance?” Miles looked up at her through the rear view mirror. She let out a long groan.

“My body wants to die!” 

He chuckled before saying, “Well, cheer up. You have your sleepover tonight don’t forget, and aunt Kath gave me a cupcake recipe for you girls to make.” Her eyes lit up immediately. “They should get there a bit after us. So when we get home, go change.”

“Yay!”

---

“Athena!” Sky yelled, as she got out of her car. She ran at the girl, and tackled her in a hug. “Hi Junnie!”

“Hi Sky, how have you been?”

“Good! What about you? I didn’t see you all week,” Sky said, hugging her. Both Athena and Juniper were slightly taller than her.

“Where were you?” Athena asked. “And what’s with your hair, it’s never up.”

“Oh, I had dance. Come on, let’s head in. Papa said he got a cupcake recipe we can make once the others get here.”

Athena and Juniper sat downstairs, while Sky went to put her pajamas on. While she was gone, Pearl and Trucy arrived.

“Hi, I’m Phoenix Wright. You must be Mr. Edgeworth,” Phoenix said, and shook Miles’s hand, while Trucy and Pearl went to sit with Athena and Juniper.

“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My daughter is a big fan of yours, I was quite surprised when I found out you were Trucy’s father.”

“Ya, well. We try to keep that on the down low so her and Apollo can have a normal time at school.”

“Understandable. Would you like to have a cup of coffee, or do you need to be getting back?”

“Uh, I would love to, but I need t-”

“Eeee!” Came a squeal, before Sky clamped her hands around her mouth and apologized to Athena with a quick, “Sorry.” But she wasn't down for long as she ran up to Phoenix with a beaming smile. “You’re Phoenix Wright. Phoenix Wright is in our cafe. Papa, Phoenix Wright is in our cafe!” She turned to her father who was trying hard not to laugh.

“Yes, he is. But you need to keep it down, and apologize to Athena properly.” Her smile dropped, and she ran over to her friend.

“I’m sorry Thena,” she mumbled, giving her a big hug. “I just got really excited.”

“It’s okay, it wasn’t too bad.” Athena smiled, even though it had caused her quite a bit of pain. “But, why did you two come with Phoenix Wright?” Athena asked, turning to Pearl and Trucy.

Trucy tilted her head and frowned slightly, before saying, “He’s my daddy.” The room fell silent, as Athena, Sky, and Juniper stared in shock.

“Well, I need to be getting back. Maya’s picking you guys up tomorrow. Bye Mr. Edgeworth, it was nice meeting you!” The bell chimed as the door closed, then the room fell back into silence.

“Well then,” Miles said, clasping his hands, “who wants to make cupcakes.”

[arollofmirrors]

Firstly, I'm okay if you call me mirrors. Thanks for asking.

Secondly, oh boy. Where do I begin?

I've tried figure out how I first learnt of his existence before, but I've never been able to quite pinpoint. I think it must've been when I was around 10-11 years old cause that's when, after a lot of begging on my part and consideration on theirs, my parents got me a tablet. Finally! I had my own window to the outside world in the palms of my hands! Now I can watch Chuggaaconroy play Luigi's Mansion whenever I wanted! Who's gonna stop me now!?! AHAHAHAHAHA-

Anyways, this is where it starts getting tricky because I know I learnt of him via YouTube, but I don't exactly remember how. I know some of videos I watched made references to him and such, but I'm not sure what made me go "I'm gonna see what this guy's about!" At some point I guess I just thought "I'm gonna see what this guy's about!" and started with songs from Mandatory Fun cause that was the most recent album.

Actually, I also remember going to my younger cousin's birthday party around that age where we were all able to watch videos on her parents computer. I wanted to play the English version of the Sailor Moon theme song on loop, but someone stopped me and instead played some weird music video of this nerdy man rapping about how much of a nerd he was. So maybe that was the first time?

Actually actually, though it's very foggy, I do remember being 6-7 years old and sneaking onto my dad's computer to watch YouTube videos. I tried to watch Scooby-Doo content and came across clips from a Batman episode where the Scooby-Doo gang was there. I don't know how much of the episode I saw, but I do know that the episode also had Weird Al in it! So there is a possibility that this is actually the very first time I learnt of Weird Al!

You see why I have a hard time pinpointing it down?

Anyways, from some point on I became a casual Weird Al fan. I feel like by the time I was in the eighth grade, while I was still wasn't in too deep, I knew more than the average person would. I watched the Behind The Music special and a little bit of Weird Al Live (1999) off YouTube. I was aware of some deep cuts like Nature Trial To Hell or I Remember Larry and I knew he made way too many cameos in way too many things at this point.

I offcially went off the deep end about six months ago. I found myself in an existential quandary full of loathing and self-doubt and wracked with the pain and isolation of my pitiful meaningless existence. So all I wanted was a little bit of levity during this time (plus my interest was sparked once I heard of the biopic) and decided to listen to some songs again.

Oops cause something, something, here I am now!

Honestly I'm surprised it took this long for me to finally become a hard-core fan. I guess being on the edge of an emotional breakdown was the final push I needed?

It's a bit of a shame cause I'm an extremely self conscious person who lives in a really small town with very few people I regularly talk to; none of them are really that invested in Al (especially not to the degree I am). As a result I don't have anyone I feel comfortable sharing this interest with in my life. Whenever I try to with my friends I get the feeling that they don't care and I just feel bad for them. So it's been nice to be able to be apart of the small, yet active community here. It's been fun to interact with you guys and share whatever random thoughts or trivia I have. (Plus I feel like I need a more laid-back fanbase like this one after my Danganronpa hyperfixation back in 2020-2021. *shudder*)

TL;DR: I dunno, I just learned he existed when I was ten or so and was a casual fan until a few months ago when I decided to go back to his work as a way to cope with my life and accidentally, yet predictable became obsessed.

(By the way I wanted to get something off my chest for a while and I'm going to use right now as an excuse to.

I remember back in March of 2020 when Al uploaded the live preformce of Germs to YouTube. This was the first time I ended up not just hearing the song, but watching the video and I remember exactly what I thought:

"Wow, I liked that song! That was really funny and just a genuinely cool song, definitely heavier than Al's other songs. I enjoyed that, but what was up with that shirt? Why did it have holes in the sleeves? And why were the sleeves semi-transparent? It looks stupid! Other than that, there is literally nothing else noteworthy about the live version of the song."

It's stuff like this that makes my friends suspect I might be ace/aro. Also, please don't kill me! I've come around to respect Germs fully and I promise to never say such blasphemous things again!)

Random Question: When did you first learn about Al and at what point did you fall down into the land of Weird Al hyperfixation?

hi mirrors! (I hope it's ok me calling you that lmk if there's something else you'd like me to call you instead!)

Ok so I first learned about al when I was a kid, about 8ish. I assume this age because I think it was around the time that Poodle Hat came out. My dad introduced me to his music. I don't think he was like, a fan? More of a casual enjoyer. When he showed me and my lil bro the songs eBay and Eat It and Fat and Like A Surgeon and Amish Paradise we were both entranced. My brother was more into him than I was then and when Straight Outta Lynwood came out he introduced me to Virus Alert and I'll Sue Ya and Don't Download This Song and also Hardware Store and I loved them all. I loved the way he made the songs funny and silly and wasn't afraid to be weird. I never really dug deeper into his music than that and for a long while I mostly forgot about him apart from occasionally jamming to those songs and enjoying it when my brother played his music and irritating the people around me by singing his lyrics over the original songs whenever I heard them.

Fast forward to right at the end of December last year. 2022 was a very Year for me and I was looking forward to it being over and moving into 2023 and was like. 2022 has gotta have one final curveball for me. Let's see what it ends up being. Then one of my mutuals on main reblogged the Germs weird al gnc af gifset. And I was shook to my core. The fact that he'd done a nine inch nails pastiche? One of my favourite bands, that I discovered after my weird al days? How had it never really occurred to me that he had an entire discography that I could now explore as an adult with a richer understanding and appreciation of wordplay, humour, composition and music in general? And how had I taken this long to realise how gender he was? How much of a formative influence on me was he without me realising at all? Is he the reason I love Hawaiian shirts, I even wondered?? A couple of days later the hyperfixation hit like a ton of bricks. Like it hit so hard that I didn't sleep at all that night. I was just listening to his songs and scrolling through @yankovic-lovers until like 10am. I think I made this sideblog around the middle of January when I knew that being normal about him was likely no longer going to be an option. Then a few days after that I happened to Google "weird al tour dates" because I love seeing live music and was curious as to whether he ever played live in the UK or not and whaddaya know? He was shortly going to be playing a show of the return of the vanity tour at the same venue I saw nine inch nails at last summer. Spooky. So of course I bought a ticket. And no word of a lie, that was one of the best shows I've ever been to, even with just the seated set. Seeing a full scale tour is now bucket list territory for me.

It's been just about seven months of Yankofreakin' It and shows no sign of slowing. I'm really taking my time with exploring his entire career outside of music and outside of his main studio albums cos I don't want it to end honestly :'). I really think he's going to be one of those artists who's going to become a solid favourite, who's going with me in some way for life even when this hyperfixation isn't so intense anymore. Feels weird to say but it feels like I was always meant to find my way back to being a fan of him, like it was inevitable, and I'm so happy that it finally happened. He's really helped me understand myself and appreciate myself more (queer autistic self-recognition through the sillygoofy Other is a powerful thing, it turns out), helped me cope with what has turned out to be another difficult year, and I absolutely adore the fan community on here - you're all utterly delightful and I'm really glad to have 'met'/shitposted with you all.

I don't think that mutual who reblogged that gifset actually knows it was their fault (lighthearted) like we've never talked so I've never had the opportunity to be like. YOU!! (insert photo of person grabbing cat who knocked over plantpot here)

TL;DR: liked him as a kid, mostly forgot about him after that and then at New Year's one of my mutuals reblogged a gifset of him sliding down a mic stand in a Trent Reznor costume and now I spend my days calling him a milf on Tumblr dot com.

Thank you for asking!!! This is a sideblog so consider this reply to be me also sending you an ask with precisely the same questions!!

[winchestershiresauce]

What is and What Should Never Be - Chapter One

Santiago Garcia x f!Reader, eventual Frankie Morales x f!Reader

Series Rating: Explicit (18+ only, minors do not interact) / Chapter Rating: Explicit

Series Summary: When you need a date to your cousin’s wedding after a breakup, Santi suggests the two of you pretend to be together for the summer. Between your families, his friends, pub trivia, and unexpected feelings, what could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Summary: At your cousin’s wedding, you and Santi discover how great you are at acting like a couple.

Chapter Warnings: mentions of alcohol/drinking, explicit smut, sex after drinking (but not drunk), fingering, oral sex (m receiving), unprotected PiV, use of pet names

~3k words 

A/N: This is the first chapter of a multi-chaptered fic, but this chapter can also function as a standalone. This is the first chaptered fic I’ve posted, so please let me know what you think! (Title stolen from a Led Zeppelin song.)

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

--

“You’re good at this, you know. Convincing me to do things that I know will end in disaster.” You gave Santi a pointed look as you took a sip of your beer. He laughed in a way that looked like it took him by surprise, which made your heart flutter. You knew this would either be the worst idea or the best idea he’d ever had.

“Oh come on, don’t be dramatic. I wouldn’t say my plans have ever ended in disaster if we’re both sitting here, alive enough to have a drink,” Santi defended, giving your arm a playful smack. You set your beer down on the sticky bar top in front of you and looked at him out of the corner of your eye.

“I guess I can concede to that,” you laughed, turning to face him fully. “So let me get this straight…” You made a face as if you were collecting all of the facts, making sure you were following what he was suggesting. “I need a date to a wedding next weekend, and your response is that we should, what, pretend to be dating for the summer?”

He shrugged. “You make it sound like some crazy scheme, but think about it. My buddy, Will, is getting married later this summer and I’ll need a date for that, plus think of all the other holidays or events people have during the summer that people bring dates to. Instead of dealing with the shit our friends and families would give us for not having our lives together, we can spend that time with someone sexy who doesn’t drive us crazy.” At that, it was your turn to laugh and you reached up to grab his forearm.

“Oh, Santi, you’re such a sweet-talker. How could I say no when you call me ‘someone sexy who doesn’t drive you crazy’?” He shot you a wink and you had to admit, it did make sense. It was likely a terrible idea that would inevitably blow up in your faces, but he did have a point and you could guarantee that he’d had worse ideas when you’d worked together in Colombia. If you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that you’d always been attracted to Santi and you got along well, even working well together in stressful situations. He really wasn’t wrong that it would be beneficial for both of you.

“Does that mean you’re in, querida?” You bit your lip and considered it some more. He eyed you expectantly as if he somehow knew you’d say yes. When you didn’t immediately respond, he added, “How about this: your cousin’s wedding can be a trial run. If it goes terribly, we call it all off and pretend it never happened. But if it goes well, which I’m sure it will, we keep up our fake relationship.”

“All right, deal.”

–

You managed to make it through the hour-long drive, checking in to the hotel, and the whole wedding ceremony before you started to freak out a bit. As you and the other guests mingled in the reception hall, waiting for the newlyweds to arrive, you finally saw your mother walking toward you. You’d managed to avoid her thus far, but once she’d set you in her sights, you knew you wouldn’t be getting out of a conversation.

“My mother’s on your six,” you whispered to Santi as you watched her approach over his shoulder. You clutched what was left of the brandy old-fashioned in your hand a little tighter as you tensed in preparation for whatever she was going to say. The glass was cold and you thought that maybe the condensation on the side would help keep you grounded. Your mother wasn’t exactly known for her tact and the last time you’d spoken with her, she’d made her disappointment in your decision to break up with your ex, Danny, abundantly clear.

“Breathe,” Santi whispered back, ducking his face close to your ear so you could hear him. “I’m right here, and I am not above fighting an elderly woman.” You rolled your eyes but his quip did help dissolve some of the tension – if he wasn’t nervous to meet this hurricane of a woman, you’d be fine.

“Sweetheart!” your mother called and you were shocked at how decidedly not shrill she sounded.

“Hi, Mom,” you answered. Santi turned around to face her, lightly placing his hand on your lower back. The soft, casual warmth of his touch anchored you to the moment, and you exhaled some of the tension. You tried not to think about how natural it felt to have his hand on you like that. 

“You look beautiful, honey. I haven’t gotten to see you since Christmas, when you and Danny came by for dinner!” You winced and Santi pressed his fingertips into your back to remind you he was with you. At that moment, you were thankful that you’d brought someone who knew your tells. “And who is this with you?” She turned to look your date up and down, assessing him and undoubtedly comparing him to Danny in her mind.

“This is my boyfriend, Santiago,” you answered pleasantly, and to keep from getting snippy with her, you decided to simply ignore any comments you didn’t feel like addressing.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Santiago.” She reached out her hand for a handshake and he shook it gently.

“A pleasure to meet you as well. I see now where your daughter gets her good looks!” You flushed and looked over to see your mother’s reaction. When Santi took his other hand off of your lower back and clasped it over hers, she let out a surprised laugh.

“What a charmer!” she giggled, placing her other hand on his shoulder. “Where did she manage to find you?” Santi wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you into him, protectively.

“We actually worked together in Colombia a few years back, but she wouldn’t give me the time of day. Luckily, when I moved back to the States, she was single and had lowered her standards enough to be seen with me.” He laughed conspiratorially and pressed a soft kiss to your cheek as your mother grinned. 

“Thank goodness for that!” she giggled, and it took everything in you not to roll your eyes. “I’m sure she knows she’s one lucky lady.”

“That I do,” you responded, leaning your head onto Santi’s shoulder. His thumb lightly rubbed at your side and you could’ve melted from the warmth radiating from his hand rested on your hip. 

 “Well, as much as I’d love to stay and chat with your handsome new beau, I really should find out where your father’s wandered off to.” 

You gave her a smile and before you could answer, Santi replied, “It was lovely to meet you, and I’m sure we’ll see you around.” Once she turned and walked away, you sighed and looked at Santi. Damn, you were impressed. Your mother had been surprisingly pleasant with him. You weren’t sure what you had been so nervous about – he was incredibly charming when he wanted to be.

“That could’ve gone worse,” you conceded. Santi laughed and cupped your face in his hands.

“Relax, hermosa. How could she not love me?” You rolled your eyes and Santi pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. He grabbed the empty glass from your hand and nodded toward the bar. “Let me get you another drink.” A genuine smile spread across your face as you watched him walk away and you couldn’t help as your eyes slid down to check out the way his ass looked in his dress pants. Did he have to look so damn delectable?

Later that night, you had your arms looped around Santi’s neck and his hands rested on your hips as you swayed to some cheesy romantic slow jam from the 90s. You’d had a few drinks and were feeling good – much better than when the evening began. Your mother hadn’t said another word about Danny and actually seemed to like Santi, and spending time with him like this had just felt natural. While the casual touches were a bit more than you were used to with him, they didn’t feel forced, and you were reminded why the two of you had been so close in Colombia. No matter what the situation was, you felt comfortable when he was around, allowing you to fully be yourself without worrying about any sort of judgment. Usually, when spending time with someone as downright gorgeous as Santi was, you had a tendency to overthink everything. With Santi though, that wasn’t present.

“Are you having a good time, querida?” Santi leaned in to whisper in your ear and a shiver ran down your spine at the way his breath tickled your skin.

“I am. Are you?” You reached up to let your fingernails lightly scratch the back of his head, loving the soft feel of his curls under your fingertips. His eyelids seemed to grow heavy at your touch and he swallowed roughly.

“Very much so.” His lips brushed against your cheek as he spoke and you pressed your thighs together at the arousal that it sparked. 

“You can touch me, you know. Any boyfriend of mine would surely have his hands on my ass by now.” Santi turned his head so your lips were just barely touching and you could feel, rather than see, his smirk. 

“I didn’t want to presume.” His smirk spread to your lips as you felt his hands dip lower to rest on your ass. He pulled you closer to him and with the way he pressed into your hip, you could feel him beginning to harden. The liquor mixed with lust in your bloodstream to send a warmth throughout your body, and your lips hovered just over his as you felt the gentle pulse of desire between your thighs.

“Come upstairs with me?” you asked against his lips and in response, he attached his mouth firmly to yours. He groaned into the kiss and your hands moved down to his biceps. Lightly pushing him away, you couldn’t help the broad smile that spread across your lips. Santi pressed his hand to your lower back and led you off of the dancefloor, and while you were thankful in that moment that you’d gotten a room in the same hotel that held the reception, you would’ve let him lead you anywhere. 

You’d barely made it into the elevator before Santi was backing you into the wall behind you. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear and kissed you deeply, his hands holding you tight against him. The warmth of the whiskey he’d drank flooded your senses as his tongue explored your mouth. Your hands skated over the broad expanse of his shoulders, and your cunt clenched around nothing as you felt the tension move through his muscles when his fingers kneaded the soft globes of your ass. As you ground your hips against his, his lips moved to your neck, you tightly grabbed on to his curls, and the world around you fell away. 

The two of you stumbled your way to your room and as soon as you shut the door, Santi’s hands were traveling up your bare thighs under your dress. 

“Santi, please,” you whined as his fingers danced over your damp cotton panties and he left desperate kisses along the column of your throat. Everywhere he touched you simultaneously felt like too much and nowhere near enough.

“Please what, querida? Tell me what you want.” His voice was so low you felt the vibration of it rumble across your skin. Every swipe of his fingers felt electric and you were desperate to feel him where you needed him the most.

“Touch me, Santi. Please. I want to feel your fingers.” He groaned and pressed you firmly into the wall behind you. He pulled your panties to the side so he could feel how wet you were for him, swiping slowly through your folds. The feeling of his finger pressing into your needy pussy had you gasping at the sudden and welcome intrusion.

“So wet already,” he purred against your neck, “Is all of this for me?” As he slipped another digit into you, he grabbed the back of your head to press his lips strongly against yours again. You moaned into the kiss as his fingers curled to prod that spot inside you that made you see stars, and he greedily swallowed your wanton noises. His tongue found its way into your mouth, and the kiss became frantic as he brought you closer to the edge. As Santi pumped his fingers into you, caressing that spot inside you each time, you began to thrust your hips into his hand. You wondered how it was possible that he knew your body so well, and you barely had time to think before he was coaxing an orgasm from you. 

“Fuck, Santi,” you breathed, your body utterly pliant beneath his touch. He pulled his fingers out from under your dress and your breath caught in your throat as he slipped them past his lips to lick them clean. You grabbed him by the lapels and pulled his mouth roughly against yours. You could taste yourself on his lips and it stoked the fire of need within you. He clearly felt the same as he all but dragged you over toward the bed. As his knees hit the mattress behind him, you pushed him backwards so he was sat on the edge of the bed. He quickly shed his jacket and you began unbuttoning his shirt. Your mouth was on his and the kisses grew more desperate with each piece of clothing either of you removed. Your dress quickly joined his jacket and shirt on the floor, and you slid your panties over your hips and you dropped to your knees in front of him. Santi lifted his hips to help you slide his pants and boxers off, and you couldn’t help but lick your lips in anticipation as his cock sprang free. 

“So beautiful on your knees for me.” He looked down at you with dark eyes and cupped the side of your face in his hand. As he caressed your cheek with the callused pad of his thumb, you wasted no time reaching out to wrap your hand around his shaft, stroking softly. Before he knew it, you had your mouth around his tip and he swore you felt like heaven. The warm wetness of your mouth was divine as you took in as much of him as you could. You slowly pulled back to slide your tongue over his tip before leaning forward to swallow him down again. You felt him bump against the back of your throat and you gagged a bit as your body adjusted to the intrusion. Santi was panting as you bobbed your head on him and his fingers tangled in your hair. He didn’t put any pressure on your head, simply guiding you with his hand as you moved your lips up and down him. All too quickly, however, he was tightening his grip on your hair and pulling you off of him. 

“What’s wrong?” you asked, looking up at him with swollen lips and smudged mascara.

“Don’t wanna cum in your mouth, querida,” he murmured, and he scooted back on the bed to make room for you to climb up. You crawled over him, feeling the slickness of your arousal coat the inside of your thighs. 

“Wanna feel you, Santi.” He looked up at you with sparkling eyes as you dragged your slick folds over his throbbing cock. He groaned as you teased him, sliding him through your wetness and rubbing your clit against his hardness. You keened in pleasure at the spark it sent through you, and Santi dug his fingertips into the soft flesh at your hips. He urged you to sink down onto him, aching to feel you from the inside. For a moment, you both just enjoyed the feeling of him enveloped in your wet heat, and then you were moving with fervor. 

Santi bucked his hips up, fucking into you desperately. As you rocked your hips against him, each movement backward had your clit bumping deliciously against his pubic bone. You felt the familiar warmth blooming in your belly again and your walls squeezed the delightful intrusion. Your mouths were moving frantically against each other as you both chased your release, the two of you just a tangle of limbs as you tried to touch every inch of each other. As you moved your hips faster, your climax began to crest and you clenched tightly around him, triggering his own orgasm. You felt him thrust up into you and release, filling you with his cum as he felt the fluttering of your walls around him. 

As you both tried to catch your breath, you slid off of him and curled into his side. With one arm under you and his other hand brushing your sweaty hair out of your face, you couldn’t help but grin at him. Your breathing was slowly returning back to normal and your heart rate began to calm as he grinned back at you.

“Santi, that was…” you began, but you couldn’t even find the words to describe it, so you just sighed.

Luckily, he seemed to be on the same page as he chuckled and answered, “Yeah. Yeah, it was.” The room was quiet then as you both maneuvered to get your tired and sated bodies under the covers of the bed. You laid your head on his chest, placing a gentle kiss to the patch of hair there as your eyelids grew heavy. Santi placed another kiss to the top of your head and as you fell asleep to the gentle repetition of him stroking your hair, you refused to think about the conversation that would need to happen in the morning.

--

Chapter Two

[headaching]

*chanting* zukka zukka zukka

[ID: Two screenshots of a Reddit post.

The first screenshot shows the title: "Crush said "You're a handsome boy just like your daddy!" to my cat" by Reddit user CatDadAdvice, posted 10 hours ago, in the relationship_advice subreddit, with a 95% upvote.

The post begins: "If you want the short of it my crush said to my cat while pet sitting "You're a handsome boy just like your daddy." and I do not know what to do

I (32M) befriended a coworker (31M) we have been friends for around three years. He is very outgoing and has many friends, so I assume he is just a nice guy and isn't interested in me the same way I am with him. Still, we get coffee every Tuesday and Thursday morning and interact outside of work. Examples of this are dinner, coffee, trivia, and general conversation.

After we got to know each other a bit better and truly became friends he had the privilege to meet my cat, who's name is Prince. He is an orange tabby cat with a lot of fur and fluff. My friend instantly starting fawning over him and talking about and showing me pictures of his old cat named Pinto Bean who tragically passed away five years ago.

Now onto the event in question. I recently went on a trip with my mother to visit some cousins out of state. We planned to be gone for about four days. I decided to ask my friend to pet sit since he loves Prince and unlike my other friend he is an experienced cat owner. I warned him about how I had some cameras in my house and he said he wasn't bothered by them and if I wanted to check in on how things are going that would be okay with him."

In the second screenshot, the post continues: "I was very grateful for this and offered to pay however he said spending time with Prince was payment enough. So I gave him the rundown of Prince's schedule, where his food is, his favorite toys etc. I mentioned that if Prince is shedding and leaving a lot of hair around then he could brush him, only if he wanted to. He said he would but I still decided to give Prince a good brushing before I left.

On the third day of the trip he texted me saying he was going to try and brush Prince. He loves being brushed and will roll over and let you even brush his tummy, but he has never been brushed by anyone other than me so I was a little worried. I tried to ignore it, but after a few minutes I decided to check on the camera to see how he was doing with him.

I could see at the edge of the screen where they were sitting and could hear them easily. I only checked for a few seconds but that was all that was needed.

I am not sure wether it was the Lord or Satan that caused this coincidence but that is when I heard my friend say in-between his other compliments to Prince "Aww you're such a handsome boy, just like your daddy! Uh huh aren't you a handsome boy!"

My heart stopped hearing that. I still can't stop thinking about it. Does this mean anything? Could he possibly be attracted to me the same way I am to him? I know he is bisexual but perhaps I am being too hopeful and this is a normal thing to say to your friends cat. What would you do in my situation?" End ID]

[tripleaxeldiaz]

like it’s a little secret, like it’s all he has to give

for @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels <3

read on ao3

He didn’t mean for this to happen.

Well, no. He wanted it to happen, had been planning to make it happen with a lot more wooing and sweeping off of feet to get them to a perfect moment where he could tell Buck exactly how much he loves him and needs him in his life.

So he did want it to happen, of course. He just didn’t expect it to happen like it did — after a night out with the team, in the dim light of his living room, during a tipsy game of Truth or Dare like they were in high school again. Buck had said, “Dare”, and the three beers and two shots swimming in Eddie’s brain said, “I dare you to kiss me.”

And he did.

And one kiss turned into two, turned into making out on Eddie’s couch, turned into stumbling blindly toward the bedroom, turned into fingertips burning trails up backs, whispered confessions into necks, and muffled moans of yes and more and please and Eddie.

So it happened. It’s still happening.

That isn’t the problem. 

The problem is that it happened six months ago and they still haven’t told anyone.

It’s not that they don’t trust their friends or that they aren’t serious about each other. In fact, they’re probably too serious about each other, about making this the thing that sticks. The morning after their first night together, they talked for hours about their past failed relationships and insecurities, laying every, ugly part out for each other to see.

“I just want to be enough,” Eddie said, throat as raw as his insides felt. 

Buck’s hand slid up his back to scratch through his hair. “You’re more than enough for me. And I’d like to stick around and prove that to you, as long as you’ll let me.”

“Forever, ideally.”

“Forever it is.”

“I’m gonna fuck this up.”

Buck shrugged. “So will I. Maybe we give ourselves some time — fuck things up quietly before we let other people know?”

Eddie kissed Buck again, softly, soundly, relief surging through him because Buck gets it and wants to make this work and, this way, he feels like they may actually have a chance.

So that was that. Nothing really changed — Buck was still at the Diaz house more often than not, but now sleepovers meant Buck was in bed with Eddie instead of on the couch (except for the half hour before Chris woke up when Buck snuck out to the living room). They were still a dynamic duo on calls, they just also had each other after calls now too, especially bad ones. They were able to get to know each other as boyfriends instead of just best friends, figure out what they wanted and needed from a relationship, and smooth out the bumps they hit on their own, without any outside influence.

Now, they’re in a good spot. The best spot. And six months is a long time to keep quiet about something that makes Eddie so happy he could explode. But—

“They’re gonna be mad,” he says, head pillowed in Buck’s lap, absently picking at the label of his empty beer bottle. Buck hums, fingers combing through Eddie’s hair, the TV softly playing some reality show about a yacht crew.

“You don’t think they’ll be happy for us too?”

“They probably have a betting pool going on us. Then they’ll be mad and gloating.”

Buck’s hand stills on his head. “Eddie, if you don’t want to—”

Eddie scrambles up to sitting, taking both of Buck’s hands in his because he’s stopping that train of thought right now. “I do want to. I really do. I’m just—”

“Nervous?”

Eddie nods, absently placing a kiss inside Buck’s wrist as he gathers his thoughts. “I trust you. More than anything. And I trust us. I just don’t trust anything else, not yet. We’ve been in our own little world for a while, I just need to get used to that not being the case anymore.” 

Buck’s quiet for a minute before he leans forward, kissing Eddie’s forehead. “I don’t really trust anything else either. I’m happy to wait and follow your lead. As long as you know you’re stuck with me.”

Eddie kisses him quickly before laying back down, Buck’s hand automatically threading into his hair again. “You’re stuck with me, too. Even when cute, injured bikers try to steal me away—”

He feels a sharp tug on his hair. “I knew you did that on purpose!”

Buck’s jealous streak is a mile wide, Eddie’s known that since the day they met. So what if he’s exploited it a little while they’ve been sneaking around? How could he have known for sure that a little extra flirting on a call would get him blown within an inch of his life in a storage closet as soon as they got back to the station? He’d surely expected it, but…

Whatever. Sue him. His boyfriend’s hot when he’s territorial, and he’s only a man.

~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie should have known the universe would start fucking with them almost immediately.

The team has never been shy about trying to set both of them up — there’s always a friend of a friend or a second cousin or a neighbor that would be perfect for, as Hen so lovingly puts it, “our hot and lonely coworkers”. It’s only gotten worse in the past month or so, when a team trivia night turned into a team-and-significant-others trivia night, “forcing” Buck and Eddie to pair up to even things out. Ever since, he’s been cornered almost every day by Hen and/or Chim, each with a handful of people that would love to take Eddie out to dinner, and he knows they do the same to Buck. He’s pretty sure they have a shared spreadsheet about it.

“Come on Eddie, Nick is great! He’s tall, he owns a gym, his dog is cute—”

“Chim,” Eddie cuts him off, pulling his head out of the fridge to face Chimney and Hen seated at the island. He could end it now, just tell them I don’t want to go out with your new personal trainer because I already have a boyfriend, but it’s the middle of shift and everyone is still lingering from lunch and...it’s too much right now. Over Chim’s shoulder, he can see Buck looking at him from the couch, probably thinking the same thing (because they do that a little too often). Buck just raises his eyebrows and shrugs, saying I’m following your lead. Eddie falls a little bit more in love with him.

He focuses back on Hen and Chim. “I appreciate you guys worrying about me in your own weird way, but I’m fine. Plus, I have a thing and Chris’ school Thursday night anyway.” 

He does not have a thing at Chris’ school, and he feels bad using his kid like this, but drastic times call for drastic measures.

Hen holds up her hands as Chim deflates just a little. “Fine fine,” she says. “We know you’re busy.” She looks at Chim, and they have a quick conversation with their eyebrows before he gets up and slowly walks toward Buck.

“So, Buck, my dear pseudo brother-in-law. How’s your Thursday—”

Buck doesn’t even look up from his book. “No. Maddie and I are having a wine night, and we’re gonna talk shit about you the entire time.”

Chim squawks at that, and Eddie does a bad job of turning his laugh into a cough. It does get them to back off for the rest of the week, though Eddie resigns himself to this vicious cycle of theirs until he can finally shake the feeling that everything he and Buck have been building will dissolve through his fingertips as soon as they let anyone else in. 

It’s vicious but predictable. Easy to follow, easy to get ahead of. It gives Eddie a little room to breathe while he sorts his head out.

Naturally, that’s when Abuela decides to get involved.

Eddie’s never been able to refuse her anything — that’s how he ended up at her house on his day off in the first place, fixing a broken dryer and tightening cabinets and anything else she happens to remember she needs while he’s here. He really doesn’t mind, and he’s happy to spend any time with her that he can, but she’s been...prying. All day. As casually as she can, but he can tell she’s fishing for something. 

“Edmundo,” she says as they sit down for lunch. “You’re telling me you can’t even remember the last time you went on a date?”

Of course he can — he and Buck haven’t been able to go on many “normal” dates since they got together, but they did manage to coordinate a weekend in Ojai a few weeks back where all they did was eat, lounge by the pool, and have sex in their much-too-fancy-for-them hotel room. 

That counts as a couple of dates, right?

He shrugs instead. “I’ve been busy. Between work and Chris, I’ve just got a lot on my plate. I don’t really have time for dating.” And I don’t think my boyfriend would be too happy about it, he thinks.

“Of course,” she says. She keeps eating like that’s the end of that, but he knows there’s something else. When she finishes, she pushes her plate aside and looks at him dead on, with that There’s no way you’re getting out of this look in her eyes. “You know, if you did want to get out there again, my friend Diana has a granddaughter around your age that just moved to LA and wants to meet some people.”

There it is.

“Abuela, I really don’t think—” 

“It doesn’t have to be a date, it can just be dinner! The two of you getting to know each other. She’s sweet, she’s beautiful, and she’s a teacher, so she’s great with kids. At the very least, she could be a good friend.” She reaches across the table and grabs his hand in both of hers. “You work too hard, Edmundo. You deserve to do something nice for yourself, and that can be as easy as going out to a nice restaurant with a pretty girl for one night.”

He should tell her. He should tell her everything, even though Buck’s not here, even though he still has a stupid voice in his head telling him that as soon as their bubble pops, the likelihood of everything going belly up will skyrocket. He doesn’t want to lead this poor girl on, but Abuela is also looking at him all sad and hopeful, because she does want him to be happy, and—

“Fine. One dinner.”

Abuela cheers, actually cheers, and hugs him tightly before getting her phone. She calls Diana to set everything up themselves, rather than giving Eddie the girl’s — Chelsea’s — number. By the time he leaves, they’re set for 8pm next Friday at an Italian place downtown, and they each have a description of what the other will be wearing. “Like a real blind date,” Abuela says, and Eddie tries not to actually kick himself for falling into this trap.

He needs to get out of this. Abuela wouldn’t give him her number (“so your first meeting will be as magical as possible”), so he’ll just have to tell her right from the start on Friday. He feels bad, but hopefully she’s as nice as he’s been told and she takes it okay. And should he tell Buck? Probably, but is it even an issue if he’s not actually going through with the date? Buck’s working an overnight on Friday, so he won’t even be around when he’s supposed to be out. He could smooth it all over himself and then really sit down and get his shit together to figure out how they’re going to tell everyone, so no more fake dates happen ever again. 

He’s got this. It’s not his best idea ever, but it’ll have to do. Everything will be totally fine.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Eds? You home?”

Shit.

Eddie scrambles to shut his bedroom door, tripping over himself in the process and landing flat on his back. That’s how Buck finds him, and his stomach drops as he watches Buck’s face switch between worry and confusion as he takes in Eddie’s button down and slacks.

“Uh, hey,” he says. Buck offers a hand to help him up. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I’m on my way, just needed to grab my phone charger,” Buck says as he pulls Eddie up, checking him out again like he’s confirming that his brain isn’t playing tricks on him. “You’re awfully dressed up for your night off.”

Eddie sighs heavily through his nose. This is exactly what he was trying to avoid, and if he had left 10 minutes earlier like he meant to it would have been fine. But now Buck’s here, and he refuses to lie to him. He’s already been lying by omission enough this week.

“Abuela kinda set me up for dinner with her friend’s granddaughter,” he says quickly, panicking when Buck’s eyes go wide and his cheeks go pale. “But,” he moves closer, placing both hands firmly on Buck’s shoulders, taking it as a good sign that he doesn’t pull away, “I’m just going long enough to tell her that I’m very taken and this whole thing was a mistake. I promise, nothing was ever going to happen.” Buck does pull away then, and Eddie’s hands fall heavily back to his sides. “Buck, please—”

“I know,” he says quietly. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me. But Eds, I told you I’d follow your lead when it came to telling people about us, and if that meant fake dating other people that’s cool, I just wish you talked to me about it first. We’ve got to communicate and stuff, we’re on the same team here.”

“You’re right,” Eddie says. He slowly reaches for Buck’s hands, relieved again when he lets him. “I should have told you. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, and I didn’t want you to worry or think things were bad with us, because they’re not. But still. I’m sorry.” Buck doesn’t move, just stares at the floor. Eddie squeezes his hands. “Are we good?”

Buck finally looks up, and Eddie can’t get a read on his emotions like he usually can. But he squeezes his hands back and gives him a small smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’re good. But I should get going.” He slips out of Eddie’s hands and out the front door without another word. 

There was no yelling or accusations or anything bad, really, but Eddie still feels gutted, like every fear he had about messing up is starting to manifest like he knew they would. He should go after Buck, tell him how much he loves him, how much he trusts him, but he’s 20 minutes late now, and when he pictures Chelsea standing all by herself in a crowded restaurant looking for him, he feels a whole different wave of guilt crash inside him.

He’s going to fix this, all of this. He has to. And he’s got a 30 minute drive to think of a new plan.

~~~~~~~~~~

The drive ends up being closer to an hour, and all Eddie does is convince himself that the next time Buck sees him, he’s going to realize that Eddie’s not good enough for him and break up with him on the spot.

The restaurant is loud and crowded, lit mainly by the low candles placed on each table. Eddie’s eyes scan the room until he spots her at the bar — emerald dress and gold heels, just like Diana had told him. He slides into the empty seat next to her, awkwardly waving to get her attention. “Chelsea?”

She looks at him with a warm smile. “Edmundo, right?”

“Eddie’s fine.” He steals himself, figures ripping the band-aid right off is probably the best thing to do. “Look, I’m really sorry—”

“That’s not a great way to start a date.”

Guilt curls tighter in his stomach and up his arms. “This has been a huge misunderstanding. I’m kind of— I’m already in a relationship, and we haven’t told anyone, and my abuela was just trying to help, and she knows I can’t say no to her, and now everything is falling apart.” He feels even worse dumping all this on a woman he’s known for three minutes, but his brain seems to be doing its own thing at the moment, he’s just along for the ride.

She looks at him for a minute, before waving the bartender over. “Well, you’re here, and you sound like you’re about to lose your mind. Have one drink with me, and tell me everything.”

So he orders a Jack on the rocks and spills his guts — tells her about Buck, about why they kept everything under wraps, his plans to fix everything, how he’s so fucking scared that once everyone knows and their little fantasy world is gone, Buck will realize that he can do better, that he deserves better, and Eddie will have to put himself back together somehow. He’s not sure exactly how long he talks, but Chelsea listens intently to every word, and Eddie actually feels better when he’s done.

She finishes the last of her gin and tonic and looks him right in the eye. “I know we just met, but can I be real with you?”

Eddie nods as he knocks back his own drink.

“Your plans suck.”

He laughs and almost shoots whiskey out of his nose. “Yeah, I think I’m starting to figure that out too.”

“Look — you love your boyfriend, right?” she asks as she hands him a napkin.

“Of course. More than anything.”

“And he loves you.”

He thinks about the way Buck looks at him, no matter where they are, like he's the only person worth looking at. How it took a little while, but now he actually feels worthy of a gaze like that. “Yeah, he does.”

She shrugs. “Then it sounds like you have nothing to worry about. You have each other — everything and everyone else is just background noise.”

It’s such a simple thing, something Eddie’s known for months now, but hearing it come from someone else gives his mind that final shove that makes everything click into place and finally stick. They do have each other, he and Buck are a team, on and off the clock. That’s not going to change, if anything because they’re both too stubborn and in too deep to let it change.

“I know you’re already a teacher, but you should seriously consider becoming a therapist if you ever switch careers.”

“Believe me, this is nothing compared to the middle school problems I deal with on a daily basis.”

He shudders at the very idea of dealing with that many 13 year olds. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but thanks.” Slumping back in his chair, he scrubs a hand over his face. “I don’t even know how to start fixing this.”

Chelsea hums, face scrunched as she thinks. “You said he’s at work right? With all your friends too?” Eddie nods. “Sounds like as good a time as any to tell them. And remind Buck that you're with him one hundred percent.”

Eddie’s never been one for big, romantic gestures, but she’s right, and this is for Buck. He’ll do pretty much anything for Buck.

He stands, takes some cash out of his wallet for their drinks and places it on the bar. “Thank you Chelsea, seriously. This was...weird, and not a good first impression of me, but you’re a lifesaver.”

She smiles that warm smile again, and it feels real, no trace of pity or awkwardness. “No problem, I’m happy to help. Maybe we can get coffee sometime, as friends? I didn’t get a chance to dive into my own relationship woes.”

“Deal,” he says, laughing as he hands her his phone to actually get her number. They hug goodbye, and he all but sprints out the door and back to his truck, mind already racing trying to figure out what the hell he’s going to do once he gets to the firehouse. 

If he’s honest, this “date” really couldn’t have gone any better. He hopes the rest of his night turns out just as positive, too.

~~~~~~~~~~

The team’s in between calls when Eddie finally arrives, which is great but also does not give him a lot of time to prepare himself for whatever comes next. Rationally, he knows everything will be fine — the team will be thrilled for them, Buck will be thrilled — but there’s still that nagging voice telling him that Chelsea was wrong and that everything’s going to blow up in his face.

He shoves that voice as far away as he can and walks into the station.

There’s no plan this time beyond “find Buck”, which he does pretty quickly once he gets up to the loft. Everyone else is up here too, it seems, but he sees Buck first, curled up on the couch and watching Hen and Chim play Super Smash Bros. He has that same blank look he had on his face when he left Eddie’s earlier, and Eddie hates it. But that’s exactly what he came here to fix.

Buck double takes when he notices him at the top of the stairs, slowly unfurling himself to stand. “What are you doing here?”

A thousand thoughts fly through his head, trying to coalesce into some sweeping romantic speech that would reassure Buck of all the things Eddie’s sure he’s doubting right now. But nothing feels right, nothing even begins to scratch the surface of what Eddie’s feeling, has been feeling for the past months. Everything is fleeting and empty, pale in comparison to the technicolor love he feels every time Buck so much as looks in his direction.

Words aren’t working, but Eddie really isn’t a man of words anyway — he is, however, and man of action.

“I’m communicating,” he says, taking three long strides across the loft to Buck, grabbing his face in both of his hands, and kissing him hard. He tastes like smoke and peppermint and something fundamentally Buck that Eddie’s addicted to, and he feels a smile against his lips as Buck kisses him back in earnest. He’s not sure if it’s been seconds or years when they finally pull away from each other, but they’re both breathless and Buck is glowing and Eddie doesn’t care about anything else.

“I love you,” he says, hands still on Buck’s cheeks. “And I’m sorry. I’m always on your team, as long as you’ll let me be there.” 

Buck’s smile somehow gets even bigger. “Forever, ideally.”

Eddie’s laugh bubbles out of him as he leans back in, but stops when he hears a throat clearing somewhere to his right. He looks, and everyone — everyone, including people who were definitely downstairs when he got here — is staring at them with varying degrees of shock and excitement on their faces. Ripping the band-aid off works in his favor again.

“So,” Hen says slowly from the couch. “This is new.”

Eddie shrugs as he grabs Buck’s hand. “Not really. Unless six months old is new, I guess.”

“Six months old?”

“Closer to seven, actually,” Buck says.

There’s a clatter as Chim drops his controller and stands, arms up over his head. “That means I win!”

“Whoa, hold on, you do not—”

The loft erupts as everyone swarms Hen, talking technicalities and logistics of what was apparently a very elaborate betting pool. Buck hides his face in Eddie’s shoulder as he laughs.

“Do you think they’re actually happy for us?” Eddie asks. “Or mad that we screwed up their winnings?”

Buck looks up, resting his chin on Eddie’s shoulder. “Probably both. But I’m the real winner here.”

“And a huge cheeseball,” Eddie says.

“Better get used to it, because you’re not getting rid of me,” Buck says, winding his arms around Eddie’s waist and kissing him again.

“Forever, right?” Eddie asks as they break apart, foreheads resting together. All he sees are Buck’s eyes, sparkling blue in the light of the loft and so full of happiness — happiness because of Eddie — that he wants to drown in them.

“Yeah. Forever. No turning back now.”

Eddie likes the sound of that.

[cheri-translates]

One-shot: When you meet your ideal type at a blind date

Original author: 八重垂樱 (ba zhong chui ying)

Original title: 相亲对象遇到理想型怎么办 (source)

🍒 Warning: Slightly suggestive! 🍒

1.

I’m going on a blind date.

-

2.

Why am I going on a blind date? Why else? Because of my mom.

My mom is someone who doesn’t have lofty aspirations. Ever since she retired, her life goal has been to watch me walk down the aisle. I can’t fathom why she’s so certain that I’d remain single for life without her help. Anyway, this is how conversations typically unfold in my household:

Mom: Auntie Zhang and Uncle Zhang from next door are watching a movie over the weekend.

Me: Which movie do you and Dad want to watch? I’ll order the tickets.

Mom: That’s not the main point.

Me: Huh?

Mom: When are you bringing someone to the movies?

Me: ...

Mom: Whether they’re male or female doesn’t matter. You should know that our family isn’t conservative.

Me: Fine, fine.

-

3.

I just don’t understand - what’s so good about being married? Are games not fun enough? Are variety shows not interesting enough?

Also, I’m still working hard to save up for an apartment. The earlier I move out, the less I have to watch my parents being all gooey and affectionate with each other.

Spending time on someone who has nothing to do with me - isn’t that silly?

-

4. 

During the New Year celebration, my mom went into a frenzy after my cousin brought her boyfriend home.

During the Qingming Festival, another cousin brought her boyfriend home.

I asked, “Who in the world brings their partner to meet the family during the Qingming Festival?”

[Trivia] Qingming Festival is also known as “Tomb Sweeping Day” - a traditional Chinese festival where people sweep tombs and commemorate their ancestors

Anyway, my mom gave me an ultimatum after the Qingming Festival. I could either go on a blind date, or move out and rent an apartment by myself. 

She knew exactly where to strike where it hurt most.

When I tapped open the calculator app on my phone, I quickly realised just how far the funds in my bank account were from getting an apartment.

Fine, a blind date it shall be. I’d just treat it as though I’m meeting an online friend.

As long as I didn’t feel awkward, it’d be fine.

-

5. 

I never expected the other party to be so handsome!

How should I put it... 

When I first saw him, the phrases from novels I read over the past twenty years seemed to spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. 

Phrases like “sculpted brows”, “eyes reminiscent of stars”, “magnificent looks”, “extraordinary poise”, “a vast sky full of stars reflected on a lake”...

Hang on, the last one isn't correct, sorry.

It’s definitely not because my emotions are akin to an undulating lake with endless ripples.

-

6.

He’s a police officer.

Police officers are great - they uphold virtue and condemn evil, remain steadfast to justice, look tempting in uniforms...

Stop!

So here’s where the questions flood in.

With such an appearance and occupation, he doesn’t seem like someone who would be lacking in pursuers. It’d be as easy as throwing a basketball into a university classroom - he’d definitely hit at least three targets with ease.

Excusing myself to touch up on my makeup, I head into the washroom, splashing some cold water on my face. Then, I pinch myself on the arm.

I’m not dreaming. 

Why would he be on a blind date?

I’m utterly confused.

Oh yes, his name is Gavin.

Even his name sounds nice.

From head to toe, he’s my ideal type.

-

7.

As for why I haven’t found a partner, the reason is pretty simple.

It’s probably due to the “poison” I imbibed since young, which took the form of romance novels, shoujo manga and otome games. They framed my unrealistic expectations of love that there was definitely one person on earth who was 100% born just for me.

The so-called “destined romance”.

If I can’t find Mr 100%, why would I settle for anyone else? Instead, I should work hard and strive to be financially stable.

In this era, marriage isn’t a necessity.

What about Gavin then?

Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?

-

8.

While ruminating on the puzzle of Gavin’s unmarried status, I whip out my makeup tools, being only ten times more meticulous than before. Walking back with a strange sense of anticipation, my mind is filled with potential conversation topics with Gavin...

I didn’t expect for reality to whack me on the face the moment I returned.

A slender sized man is standing beside Gavin, his head lowered as he speaks into Gavin’s ear. He looks pretty suspicious. As though sensing something, Gavin lifts his head suddenly, his gaze landing on me from across several tables. The other man follows suit, the paper bag in his hand plopping onto the table, knocking over a glass of water.

I know this person.

He’s the ex-classmate who sat beside me in high school, and traded ten cups of milk tea with my homework so he could copy it.

Minor.

-

9.

Gavin: ...

Minor: [stuttering] O-old classmate, long time no see. I... Bro Gavin... we...

I pat him on the shoulder with force, giving him a knowing smile. “It’s okay, there’s no need to explain. I understand completely.”

It couldn’t have been clearer.

It thoroughly explains why Gavin hasn’t had a girlfriend, why Minor would appear during the blind date, and why the both of them look as though they have a guilty conscience.

After staring at Gavin for half a minute, the tips of his ears start to turn red, a hint of indignation flashing in his amber eyes.

Tsk tsk tsk.

At a fiery speed, a tragic play writes itself in my mind. Lovers whose romance was not tolerated by society. One was forced to go on a blind date, and the other watched on in the restaurant secretly, yearning for a love that he couldn’t let go of...

-

10.

Minor: H-hello... old classmate? Old classmate, why are you in a daze?

I return to my senses from Episode 17 of the tragic play.

Minor: Let me explain. This isn’t what you think...

Me: No need, I understand.

I glance at him, then glance at Gavin. He’s painstakingly handsome. His cold expression makes him even more charming.

I lament in my heart. “Classmate Minor, on account of those cups of milk tea from back then, I’ll help you out!”

It might have been my misperception, but when I mentioned milk tea, Gavin’s expression was a little strange.

-

11.

Since we aren’t on a proper blind date, there’s no need to eat expensive French cuisine. 

Gavin insists on giving me a treat. After thinking about it, I offer a suggestion. “Let’s go to Lynn’s Kitchen near high school. I haven’t been there in a while, and it isn't far from here.”

Gavin probably doesn’t know of that noodle shop, so I explain. “Minor and I used to go there often when we were in school. The noodles there are really good. There won’t be any left if we’re late.”

Gavin: I know.

Me: Huh?

Gavin: There’s a row of ginkgo trees along the street outside the noodle shop. The falling leaves in autumn are really beautiful. Stray cats often appear at the roadside, and would roll around. When it rains...

“Bro Gavin is two years our senior... I mentioned him a lot back then!” Minor interrupts with a mumble.

He did? I probe my memories, and seem to have some recollection of it. But my memories of high school have been consumed by test questions and novels. Back then, Minor would spout nonsense beside me, his words entering my right ear before leaving through the left.

Have he and Gavin been together since high school?

What a heart-wrenching romance...

-

12.

To express my amicableness, I hook an arm with Gavin, intending to hook the other with Minor next.

Before I can even reach Minor, Gavin tugs me on the arm, pulling me towards him.

Whoa, so he’s the only one who can touch Minor?

How possessive.

Outside the shop, a question suddenly occurs to me. What if my mom was hiding in a corner and observing this blind date?

Me: Gavin, play along with me. My mom might be nearby.

Gavin arches his brows, strangely cooperative as he places his hand on my shoulder. He lowers his head and leans towards my ear, the warmth of his breath twirling the stray hairs at my ear. It’s a little ticklish.

“No problem. Anytime.”

-

13.

You can’t blame me. I’m an ordinary salaried worker who has never dated in over twenty years.

If an electrocardiogram was measuring my heart rate, the data would have leapt out of the screen when Gavin spoke into my ear. If I could just pretend that I never saw Minor, I’d have a talk with Gavin about our marriage, which house to buy, whether we should adopt a cat or a dog, and how many kids we should have.

But that’s wrong.

Minor’s my good classmate. I need to be loyal to our friendship.

-

14. 

The boss of Lynn’s Kitchen actually recognised Gavin, which makes me wonder if I suffered from memory loss.

Wait. Since I could still recognise Minor, that shouldn’t be the case.

I heard that Gavin was a famous figure back in high school.

What was I doing at that time?

Probably reading books with a goal to earn big bucks.

Ugh. Why didn’t I know Gavin before Minor did?

-

15.

Gavin says something to the boss, and the latter returns to the kitchen. While I’m still waiting for him to take my order, the noodles are served.

A bowl of my favourite tomato and pig intestine noodles is placed before me. Gavin has a bowl of spicy beef noodles, and Minor... Minor is just having plain noodles served in a simple broth?

Is this meant to maintain his figure?

Hang on, how does Gavin know that I like pig intestine noodles? Could this be the instincts of a police officer? That’s amazing!

-

16.

When I lift my eyes, my gaze happens to meet Gavin’s. His eyes brighten, the flowing light in them akin to a galaxy submerged in the ocean.

His lips, which have chilli oil on them, look really nice.

His fingers, which are holding the chopsticks, look really nice.

His Adams’ apple, which bobs as he swallows, looks really nice too.

...

No way, I have principles.

If I were to continue dwelling on this, the watch on my wrist might automatically call the ambulance if my heart beats too quickly.

-

17.

“Cough.”

I wipe my mouth clean, take a sip of water, clear my throat, and embark on the long speech I prepared. “My mum has always been pushing me to go on blind dates. But I really don’t have the time nor emotional capacity to date right now.”

Unless the other party is you, I add silently.

Me: I understand the situation the two of you are in. Gavin, you were probably pressured by your family to come for this blind date too, weren’t you?

Gavin glances at me, not expressing an opinion.

Me: Here’s what I’m thinking. Since we both need a partner as a cover up, why don’t we collaborate? We’ll treat this as a successful blind date. From today onwards, Gavin will be my boyfriend, and I’ll be your girlfriend. In name only, of course. We just need to fend off our families.

Gavin: Hm.

Me: Don’t laugh. I’m serious.

Minor is about to say something. But after receiving a glance from Gavin, all he does is mumble, “I’m buying milk tea” before vanishing.

That’s good. Without him around, I’d feel more at ease. After all, I’m “borrowing” his boyfriend.

-

18.

Me: I know that you fancy someone.

Gavin: You do?

MC: Even a blind person can tell.

Gavin: Really?

Me: Don’t beat around the bush. I’ll get straight to the point. I’m pretty low maintenance, so I won’t trouble you unnecessarily. At most, I’ll invite you over to my house for meals, to watch movies, and things like that.

Gavin: Are you sure?

MC: I’m 100% sure!

Gavin gives me a meaningful glance.

-

19.

Wait, my response seemed a little odd.

-

20.

By the time Minor returns with three cups of milk tea, Gavin and I have already reached a mutual understanding. I won’t probe into his personal love life, and I’d simply be his girlfriend in name.

To be honest, I’m not happy about it.

The breeze of early summer courses past, and the honeysuckles bloom vibrantly.

Music drifts over from someone’s house.

“The sun’s a little hot, and it might have gone to my head

My heart is beating quickly, and I can’t stop it from dancing

As I accidentally fall into your gentle trap...”

I want to fall in love.

-

21.

Gavin is a perfect boyfriend.

He’s handsome, has a good figure, personality, hobbies, income, incredible chemistry... as well as double standards.

Quoting from his colleague, “Captain Gavin’s a completely different person when he’s with Sis-in-law.”

I think to myself, your “Sis-in-law” is someone else. And Gavin’s just an astounding actor. Next time, I’ll vote for him as the “Best Actor in the Police Industry”.

If someone was truly willing to place me at the top of his heart, and would treat me differently from how he treats everyone else - what a blessing that would be. 

Especially if that person was Gavin.

Today is a day in which I almost feel like murdering Minor from envy.

-

22.

If I had to find a flaw of Gavin, it’d be how he’s overly affectionate. When we’re together, he's so sweet that it’s as though all the strawberry ice-cream in the world turned into pink coloured bubbles, exploding into tiny honey fireworks, sweet mist pouring all over him. Who could resist that!

Whenever he sends me home after a date, I’d find myself lamenting. Minor must have saved the galaxy in his past life in order to have such luck.

I have to admit - Minor’s been really cooperative. Ever since Gavin and I agreed to pretend to be a couple, he’s rarely appeared in front of us. Gavin even seems to spend less time with Minor than with me.

I must be overthinking.

-

23.

Actually, I don’t get to see Gavin much because of work. Sometimes, we won’t meet for a month. When we arrange for a meal, we have to fix a date weeks in advance.

However, we still manage to go through all the motions of what dating couples do: eat, watch movies, spend the holidays together.

He’s met my parents and had a discussion about marriage with them. He’s obtained full marks in terms of work ethic and honouring his word.

Anyway, they can discuss it as extensively as they want, but whether we end up tying the knot is a decision left to us.

They couldn’t possibility take our household registers and force us to get married.

-

24.

They really can’t take our household registers and force us to get married?

-

25.

Once, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you like Minor?”

He glanced at me from the side, and I quickly continued. “I’m not saying that it’s wrong. I’m just curious.”

He curled his index finger and tapped it against my forehead. Then, he stuffed the candy floss he just bought into my hand. “Let’s go. I want to ride the Small Airplanes.”

Me: Weren’t we going to queue for the carousel?

Gavin: I want to ride the Small Airplanes.

Me ...can I suggest a different opinion?

Gavin: Nope.

Tsk. If he didn’t want to tell me, then so be it.

The lanterns were strung up, and the colourful bulbs in the amusement park twinkled in the hazy glow. I took a fierce bite out of the wolf-shaped candy floss, the other hand pulling on the hem of his clothes as I usually did.

Why did I feel as though he was laughing at me in secret?

-

26.

Also, why did he take the pink rabbit-shaped candy floss and give me the wolf-shaped candy floss instead?

-

27.

Over the New Year, I bring Gavin over to my house for reunion dinner. Hearing the news, my aunts, uncles and cousins come over with several bottles of white spirit. I’m sitting at the side anxiously, afraid that he’d expose the truth about us while in a drunken stupor. 

Seeing a red hue surfacing on Gavin’s face, I hastily tug on his arm.

Me: Stop drinking. Your face is all red.

Gavin: It’s polite to drink with the elders. I’m not drunk, don’t worry.

Me: People who are drunk never think they’re drunk. I’ll drink this cup on your behalf.

My relatives start hollering. “Dearie, you’re already siding with Little Gav even before marriage. Truly, girls leave the nest completely once they’re married.”

With this, Gavin’s face turns even redder. It’s clear from a glance that he’s definitely drunk despite what he said. I grumble, snatching the cup of white spirit and downing it myself, thinking it’d just be slightly stronger than beer.

Ack, it’s awful!

A hand pats my back gently, and a cup of warm water is brought to my lips. Amid the laughter from my relatives and my teary eyes, I hear Gavin’s voice.

It’s very soft, and brings with it a smile.

“Silly.”

-

28.

I walk Gavin out.

Winter evenings are incredibly cold. Our breaths form wisps of white mist, just like magic.

Me: Are you okay?

Gavin: Nope.

Me: Huh?

Gavin takes a step towards me, bending down and leaning his forehead against mine.

Gavin: I drank too much. Let me stay like this for a while.

Hey, Gavin. It’s fine to use me as a crutch, but is this position really necessary?

The scent of alcohol seeps from the open neckline of his coat, gradually encasing me within it. Both of our breaths intertwine, and the atmosphere is subtle.

I feel my face growing warm, almost bursting into flames.

It must be the white spirit’s fault.

Fine, this position isn’t that bad.

-

29.

When gorgeous fireworks explode in the sky above us, Gavin lifts his head, leaving a kiss on my forehead.

“Happy New Year, my... girlfriend.” 

-

30.

At 3am, I give Willow a call.

“What does a forehead kiss mean?”

“Familial love, friendliness, affection - just pick one.” She yawns.

“I don’t want any of those.”

“Okay. Bye.”

-

31.

I just can’t fall asleep. The more I think about what happened in the evening, the faster my heart beats.

I grab my phone, making another call.

Me: Can I snatch Gavin away from Minor?

Willow: You can.

Me: Really?

Willow: I’m absolutely sure.

Me: How do I take action? Any suggestions?

Willow: Ask him out, press him onto the bed, then sleep with him.

“I’m being serious!” I shout, slightly irritated. “I genuinely want him to be my boyfriend, and not just to act in front of parents.”

Willow: Miss, if you’re genuine, you should take action! What’s the time now... It’s 5.27am, and you’ve been perplexed about this for two hours on the phone. Why not use this time to knock on his door and confess your feelings? You can still make it in time to share the first meal of the new year together.

Me: I don’t want do that.

Willow: In that case, I’ll call him for you. Give me his number. You’re welcome. Since we’re close friends, just treat me to ten meals of hotpot and a month of milk tea.

Me: Get lost!

-

32.

I did think of knocking on Gavin’s door.

But what if I see Minor when the door opens?

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since either of us mentioned him.

Flipping through the yearbook bright and early on the first day of the new year, I discover that Gavin appeared countless times in the photos from my time in Year 1..

The library, basketball court, music room, rooftop...

He’s always in an inconspicuous spot in the background, and I never noticed.

-

33.

Once a person thinks about love, they will feel lovesick.

-

34.

After the Spring Festival, what comes next is Valentine’s Day.

Gavin told me since a while ago that his bureau was conducting team building activities over Valentine’s Day at a hot spring resort in the outskirts, and asked me to go with him.

Even though I don’t understand why there’d be team building activities during Valentine’s Day, a hot spring resort sounds very tempting.

Furthermore, I’d get to see how a certain person looks half naked...

I’ll never admit the sheer number of mental images I conjured.

Hang on. Is Gavin secretly bringing Minor along and using me as a cover?

That doesn’t seem to be an impossibility.

Just as I’m holding up a few swimsuits and hesitating on which one to purchase, my phone rings.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

It’s Minor.

-

35.

Minor: Sis... old classmate.

Me: [cautious] What’s up?

Minor: Let’s meet for a meal at Lynn’s Kitchen.

Me: What’s this about? I’m pretty busy these days, so we might have to pick another day.

Minor: It’s about you. I’ll see you at 12pm.

-

36.

This is the first time I’m applying makeup to meet Minor.

A smokey eye coupled with an appropriate shade of lipstick. Suitable for meeting a love rival.

It’s been half a year since we last met. Minor looks the same as always, albeit a little guilty.

Shouldn’t I be the one feeling guilty?

Harbouring our own ulterior motives, we finish our noodles. After giving it some thought, I decide to initiate the showdown.

Me: I’m going to a hot spring resort with Gavin tomorrow.

Minor: I know.

I’m taken aback. Gavin told him about it? My confidence wanes.

Me: Are you going?

Minor: Why would I be going?

Me: ...then why’d you ask me out?

Minor: [stuttering] If I lied to you about something, would you beat me up?

Me: Do I look like I have the ability to beat you up?

Minor: You could ask Bro Gavin to do it.

Me: He can’t bear to.

Minor hesitates. Then, he sighs. “Anyway, if you ever realise that I’ve lied to you, you have to forgive me. I really didn’t mean to do it. I was forced.”

-

37.

Mulling over it afterwards, the expression in Minor’s eyes from earlier gave me the impression that he was dealing with two fools.

I take out my phone and send a message: What could Minor possibly lie to me about?

Before Willow replies, my mom pushes open the door to my room and asks if I prefer amber walnuts or salted walnuts.

“Amber. Definitely amber.”

While spacing out, I send another message: Do you think it’d work if I bribe Eli and the others to lock Gavin and I in a room then toss the key away?

While munching on a walnut, two new notifications appear on my phone.

Willow: Nobody knows that Minor is thinking. Don’t mind him. Instead, think of how to handle your boyfriend tomorrow.

Gavin: There’s no need for Eli and the others. I could give it a try.

! ! !

My fingers slipped earlier!

-

38.

I’m doomed.

-

39.

Can I change my mind about going to the hot spring resort?

-

40.

I can’t.

Which is why I’m currently seated on a tatami in the Japanese-styled room, watching as a certain officer sticks the key into the doorknob, locking us in from the outside with a dead serious expression. Then, he opens the window and tosses the key out.

It’s not a good idea to throw things so haphazardly. What if it hits a child? Even if it doesn’t hit a child, the flowers and grass would feel pain too.

Ooh... now’s not the time to worry about such things.

The smile on Gavin’s face has a tinge of slyness in it, and it reminds me of the cartoon I watched in my childhood - how the Big Bad Wolf successfully devoured the Little Red Riding Hood after much effort.

It finally dawns on me that in hindsight, things have been odd since the very beginning.

Me: Gavin...

Gavin: Hm?

Me: Is there something you want to tell me? About the blind date from a year ago, and Minor?

Gavin: There’s no hurry.

He walks over to the door, hand resting on the light switch.

“The door’s locked from the outside. The key has been tossed out. We have an entire night.”

The light turns off.

-

41.

I used to be curious about how it feels to be touched by skin which was calluses from long-term wielding of guns.

Now, I’m no longer curious.

-

42.

Gavin actually prepared protection beforehand.

Saying that he planned this from the start doesn't count as maligning him.

I’ll settle the score with him eventually. And with Minor too!

-

43.

During a break in the middle:

Me: So you’ve been serious since the start?

Gavin: Yes.

Me: I was mistaken all this time? Why didn’t either of you tell me! Senior Gavin, that’s so unreasonable! 

Gavin: You were really nervous when we first met, and you only relaxed after the misunderstanding happened. To me, that wasn’t a bad thing. We could date naturally, and wouldn’t have to treat each other as people who were forced together by a blind date.

Thinking about how I’ve always been averse to blind dates, what he said makes sense.

Me: It’s still wrong to lie! Police officers can’t lie!

Gavin: I didn’t lie. I just...

He flips me over, leaning close to my earlobe and giving it a nibble.

“I just didn’t tell you that your guess was wrong.”

It’s true that he never admitted to dating Minor, and I simply took his silence as tacit agreement. As expected of Officer Gavin!

-

44.

“The last question!” I struggle to stop Gavin’s hands from roaming further. “Why was Minor at the restaurant that day?”

“Minor has always been giving me ideas on how to pursue you. Since high school.”

Gavin bites my finger, then gives it a kiss. The room is pitch-black, but his eyes are as bright as a midsummer starry sky, filled with a gentle smile.

“Before you even knew who I was, I already liked you.”

-

45.

I’m getting married.

Marriage is pretty nice. It’s true.

I don’t know if this is my destined romance, but that person is Gavin.

And that’s enough.

More original and translated writings: here

-

[ Permission to Translate ]

八重垂樱: Sure, thank you for liking it

[simpingforsoftboys]

The Odds of Us All

CH 3 Part 2/5: The Foxes Burrow

You stood beside Kita, facing the starting members of Inarizaki’s team. Your soulmates were pretty surprised to see you here- but that was a given since you may or may not have neglected to inform them that you would be their new manager.

“This is Ushijima Y/n. She was previously Nekoma’s volleyball club manager- I’m sure some of ya’ have heard of them before. They’re Fukurodani’s main rival- aside from Itachiyama.” Kita introduced her formally, before allowing Y/n to say a few things herself.

“I look forward to getting to know you all! Please take care of me.” You said with a bow. Kita nodded in approval at your brief greeting- concise yet polite- just as he liked it. 

“Today’s extra practice for the senior and starting members. So take yer time with gettin settled in. If ya need anythin just ask me or Aran.” A tall male in a #4 jersey strode up to you, a welcoming smile on his lips as he stretched out a hand for a handshake.

“Nice to meet ya Ushijima! Welcome to the team!” You accepted his hand and shook it firmly.

“Glad to be here Aran-senpai- but please just call me ‘Y/n.’ Ushijima is my cousin-”

“Course- ain’t gonna lie- made me double take the first time I heard it.” They shared a quick chuckle. “Why don’t ya go talk to the other’s? We’ll be right here after.” Aran stepped away to speak to Kita, luckily you didn’t need to go seek out anyone else to speak to- since someone walked up to you.

*Apologies in advance ya’ll, I’m only an anime watcher so I DO NOT have a grasp on Akagi, Omimi, or Ginjima’s characters AT ALL... so please- if you guys have tips please comment. Also I have no idea if Akagi or Ginjima was raised in Hyogo so I’m going to give them a normal Tokyo dialect for now- but Ginjima will have hints of Hyogo dialect- this is subject to change if I get advice. 

“Hi! I’m Akagi Michinari, you’re new right? How’s Inarizaki so far?” Akagi was fairly cheerful- almost like a breath of fresh air compared to everyone else. Sure, Kita and Aran were plenty nice but they were more like a parental/older brother sort than friendly.

“Mhm, I just got here two days ago! Everyone here is so friendly- I love it.”

“Hey... this is just between me and you but,” Akagi leans forward, hand covering the side of his face like he’s telling a secret, curious, you lean forward to hear better. “It’s kind of refreshing to talk to someone without the Hyogo dialect. Sometimes I still have trouble understanding what people are saying so I smile and nod.” You two look at each other for a good moment before bursting into actual giggles. 

“Me too actually, I was so lost in Japanese literature- so I just pretended to know what was going on when Kenji-sensei was lecturing.” You whisper back- sending the third year into a fit of laughter. The two of you were oblivious to the jealous stares from the nightmare trio, and the curious looks from the others. 

“Haha- I think we’ll be fast friends Y/n!” The libero says, turning to look at the last two people. “Hey Ren, Hitoshi- come say hi!” A super tall, scary dude with a blank expression walks over, along with a stereotypical alt obsessed looking guy. “The super tall one is Omimi Ren- and the grumpy one is Ginjima Hitoshi!” Omimi doesn’t say anything- instead opting to nod in greeting.

“Hey.” Is all Ginjima says, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here. 

“Call me Y/n! I was meaning to ask earlier but are there any allergies or food preferences you might have? I was going to bring homemade energy bars but realized someone might be allergic.” 

“Uh, nah I don’t have any allergies.” Ginjima looks pleasantly surprised, though it’s barely noticeable on his face, “I don’t think anyone here has allergies so ya don’t need to worry.” He turns to look at his seniors for confirmation.

“No one has any.” Omimi agrees.

“Great! Thank you... how about food preferences? Any dietary restrictions for you three specifically?” You’re slipping back into your old managerial habits, pulling out a notepad and scribbling down notes. You may not be of any help on the court directly, but you pride yourself on being analytical and taking care of your team. An example of this was how you’d watch Nekoma’s next rival team beforehand, chatting up their players by starting off with simple conversation- and estimating what makes them tick based off their answers. 

“So professional- Shinsuke picked a good one.” Akagi praised, before giving his own preferences (along with Omimi’s), Ginjima spoke after him. Something told you this years team was going to quickly be added to your list of friends.

“What’cha talkin bout over here?” Atsumu slinked over to stand at your side, inserting himself into the conversation. The two third years were unperturbed at his interruption, meanwhile Ginjima looked a little irritated. 

“Just dietary restrictions.” You replied showing him your notebook. “Speaking of which I have to speak to you, Osamu, and Suna about yours. Excuse us-” After politely excusing yourself and Atsumu, you walked over to join the other two.

“Enjoyin yerself?” Osamu questioned in greeting, taking a bite of his senbei cracker. “Never seen Akagi so chatty with someone he just met.” 

“That’s because they were gossiping.” Suna snickered, shooting you a knowing glance. “It was something about the dialect right? He said the same thing to me when we first met.” He laughed at the scandalized/busted expression you wore.

“What d’ya mean?” The vegetable oil color haired twin questioned, tilting his head to the side- Osamu said nothing, content to munch on his cracker. 

“Thank you so much for exposing me.” You ‘thanked’ Suna with a saccharine sweet tone, before answering your faux blonde soulmate. “It’s Tokyo dialect things. That’s it.”

“Oh ok.” He seemed satisfied with your answer, not seeing any reason to doubt you- much to his twin’s, and Suna’s amusement.

“Alright everyone, practice now!” Coach Kurosu called, the gym doors slamming open as he strode in alongside Coach Oomi. “Ushijima- er I’ll just say Y/n yeah? Come over and I’ll give you a rundown on how things work around here.” While the boys began running their warmup laps around the gyms interior, you made your way over to the coaches. “So... says here you were manager of old Nekomata’s team huh? Interestin’ well, it’s the same as any managerial position. Keep the bottles filled, maintain our players morale when you can, and launder the towels and practice jerseys... sound good?” You nodded, already used to the burden of managing a boys volleyball team. 

“Yes, thank you.”

“Oh and here,” he hands you a hefty, sealed envelope. “Your budget for the next two weeks. Anything you don’t spend will be subtracted from the next allowance.” Your eyes widen at the weight of it, but you nod along nonetheless. Money is a friend of yours- the Ushijima’s being a very well off family. “Well the bottles are in the locker room hallway.”

“Right, of course.” Then you left, going to begin the familiar tasks that had somehow become an important part of your daily high school life.

Oomi looked at Kurosu. “Why’d you give her cash? We’re supposed to give her the card?” Kurosu is silent, watching his players with a scrutinizing look. 

“She reminds me of a boerboel.” 

“I don’t follow?”

“I have a feelin that we can trust her.” 

Facts/Trivia

This takes place the very next day after CH3 pt1, ignore the 4d mark on that one cut off tweet please

Tendo has this uncanny ability to tell when someone is trash talking either Ushijima 

Sakusa still doesn’t know that Y/n is Inarizaki’s new manager

None of her soulmates follow her private twitter- or know of it’s existence

Y/n is very efficient at doing laundry/filling water bottles within a small time frame- she has Nekoma vbc to thank for that

Nekoma didn’t have a allowance for their team- so Y/n just paid for everything out of pocket

Yes their budget for TWO WEEKS is about $270 

The only things she can bake well is granola/energy bars, scones, and cookies. Anything else she attempts turns out horribly

A boerboel is a extremely dependable dog breed 

Sometimes when the teachers speak too quickly, Y/n can’t tell what they’re saying so she just stares at them, acting like an attentive student so that they’ll be less tempted to call on her during class

I have no idea how to write for Omimi, Ginjima, Akagi, and both coaches so I’ll just do whatever

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